BRITAIN: A packed Tube train that derailed in central London, injuring 32 people, had been due to be taken out of service at the next station after a member of staff reported something might be wrong, London Underground (LU) said last night.
The Central Line train was left with its windows smashed and doors torn off after the accident at Chancery Lane station yesterday.
LU revealed that the train was to be taken out of service and passengers removed at the next stop - Holborn - after a staff member on the platform at Bank station reported hearing strange noises as the train left the station. "A member of staff on the platform heard noises at Bank and it was decided that it would be moved to Holborn where there are switching facilities.
"They reported it to a controller at Wood Green who decided the train should be taken out of service at Holborn and the passengers removed," a spokesman said.
LU also said that the train's "black box" had been recovered and initial investigations revealed that it was possible a motor had fallen off.
"As it was leaving St Paul's a minor negative earth was recorded, meaning that the motor may have hit something. "As the train was coming into Chancery Lane, a full negative earth was recorded, suggesting that the motor could have fallen off," the spokesman said.
He said the investigation was still continuing to find out the exact cause of the accident, which left 800 passengers scrambling to get out of the damaged carriages.
Union leaders yesterday called for a public inquiry into the derailment and said all safety work carried out under the controversial Public Private Partnership should be suspended.
Last night LU withdrew the entire 10-year-old fleet of 85 Central Line trains, which were modified in recent years following problems with the motors, for safety checks.
Inspectors examining the site have also been checking that asbestos, which is normally safe and contained in the Tube, has not been disrupted.
One passenger, Mr Les Parker, was travelling to work as a supervisor in Oxford Circus train station when the train smashed into the tunnel wall in central London on Saturday afternoon.
The 43-year-old helped passengers find a way out of carriages which had derailed in the dark and dusty Central Line tunnel.
With half the train still in the tunnel, the driver could not open all the doors because of fears that passengers might fall on to the tracks. If the driver wants to open only some of the doors, he has to do it manually.
While this was happening, Mr Parker guided passengers to the section of the train which had reached the platform, where doors were being opened.
Mr Parker, from Grays, Essex, said: "As we were going into Chancery Lane it started to judder, and then it went bang. I thought 'that doesn't sound right'. For a second or so everyone was just looking at each other saying 'what's going on'? The driver came over the PA telling everyone to get off the train as quickly as we could.
"He started coming down the train [to open the doors\]. That was going to take him time.
"While he was doing that, I was looking down the carriage and what to most people would look like smoke was just rolling down the carriage.
"You could hear people down there starting to shout and scream and push forward." - (PA)