UK rail operator fined S$1.7 million after female passenger sticks head out window, hit tree branch & dies

A United Kingdom (UK) railway company Great Western Railway (GWR) has been fined £1 million (S$1,737,785) following the death of a female passenger in 2018.

According to the Daily Mail, 28-year-old Bethan Roper had stuck her head out of an open train window and died after getting struck by a hanging tree branch.

The firm also admitted to two charges of violating health and safety regulations, and was ordered to pay £78,000 (S$135,586), reported BBC.

Head struck hanging tree branch

Roper was heading home after a Christmas shopping trip in Bath on Dec. 1, 2018 when the incident occurred.

She had boarded the train while intoxicated and later stuck her head out of a droplight window as the train was moving, reported BBC.

Her head then hit an overhanging tree branch, resulting in a fatal injury.

The service operating between London Paddington and Exeter had carriages equipped with droplight windows, which allowed passengers to reach the external handle outside when exiting the train at a platform, according to the Daily Mail.

The train was travelling at a speed of 75mph (120kmh).

Droplight window risk assessment not revised

In 2016, a passenger was killed in a similar incident near Balham, south London.

The deaths, including Roper's, followed GWR's failure to act on several safety recommendations concerning windows on high-speed trains.

According to UK rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), drop light windows were found to be a significant passenger safety risk after the 2016 incident.

GWR did not complete a written risk assessment until September 2017.

However, ORR later determined that the assessment was neither adequate nor appropriate and wrote to GWR to point out its concerns.

The assessment was not updated following ORR's feedback, and the safety measures identified by GWR to mitigate the risk were not put in place before Roper's death in 2018.

ORR chief inspector of railways Richard Hines said that Roper's death was a "preventable tragedy", highlighting the need for train operators to manage risks and act swiftly when safety recommendations are made for passenger safety.

GWR committed to improving safety across network

GWR expressed their condolences to Roper's family and friends, adding that her death was a "tragic incident".

"We accept the judge's decision and remain committed to continuously improving passenger and colleague safety across our network," the company said, as quoted by BBC.

GWR noted that the judge had acknowledged its "strong safety record both before and after this incident" during sentencing, and said that the safety of its passengers and colleagues remains its highest priority.

Top photos via GWR/Facebook @WenXinran/X