Blind man thought he 'would die' after falling on train tracks due to missing safety provisions

A blind man says he thought he was going to 'lose his life' after falling on to train tracks when booked help failed to show up and paving meant to indicate the platform's edge was not there.

Abdul Eneser, who was walking with a white cane at the time, was just a minute away from being hit by a high-speed freight train after falling on to the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly.

The 20-year-old says it was, "the most traumatic experience I have ever had to face as a visually impaired person", and is now taking legal action against Network Rail.

He said: "It was horrible, it was probably my nearest death experience.

"I remember hitting the surface of the tracks and at that point I fell on to my knees, my knees were bleeding and I had a bit of pain in the back of my neck, but I was trying to get myself up, and get my stuff.

"Then the signalling guy from the opposite platform approached me and said 'there's a freight train approaching' and I needed to get myself up as soon as possible.

"I left everything on the track and managed to get myself up onto the platform just before the freight train went past.

"I thought I was going to lose my life. What would have happened if it was someone else who was less able to get themselves up, maybe an older person, or a less active person?"

Abdul, from Blackley in North Manchester, was travelling from Glasgow to Manchester via Preston in May 2022 when the incident happened.

He had booked a service for disabled passengers, known as rail assist, where a member of staff meets passengers to help them on and off trains.

Due to delays, he missed his connection to Manchester from Preston and had to wait 90 minutes for the next Northern train.

He said he was told by staff at Preston they would radio through to Piccadilly to tell them he was on the next train, as well as giving them his seat number.

But he said when he arrived at Piccadilly, no one from Passenger Assist was there to help him, claiming he was later told they had gone home.

He claims he was left on platform 14 of the station alone, and fell as he tried to locate the steps to the main Piccadilly concourse because tactile paving, which would alert him to the edge of the platform, was not there.

The paving can be little bumps or lines in the pavement which are there to help people navigate and realise when they are approaching changes in layout or hazards like road crossings, flights of stairs, or platform edges.

He went to A&E after getting help from station staff, but eventually went home to ice wounds to his knees.

"I used to be a confident rail user," Abdul said, "But the fear I experienced when I fell from the platform, and when I think about what might have happened if I hadn't managed to get back on to the platform with a minute to spare, has left me very nervous when using the railway.

"Visually impaired people should feel just as safe as sighted people when they embark on a train journey.

"My experience shows that Network Rail and train operating companies are failing to provide a proper service for visually impaired people."

Abdul is now taking legal action and suing Network Rail, as well as potentially some of the rail operators.

Law firm Leigh Day has sent a legal letter to Network Rail, Avanti West Coast and Northern Trains to launch a legal claim, saying they have a duty under the Equality Act 2010.

Solicitor Kate Egerton said: "It is staggering that, despite the number of incidents involving blind and visually impaired people falling from platforms, tactile paving is missing from such a large proportion of stations.

"Network Rail and train operating companies have legal obligations to ensure that train stations are safe for all members of the public, including disabled passengers."

She added: "The Department for Transport has had guidance about tactile paving in place since 1998, so it's been known about as a measure for disabled people for many years.

"The fact there's been accidents and the fact this guidance has been in place - and that hasn't prompted Network Rail to install tactile paving, and I believe it's still missing around 40% of platform edges - is really shocking."

The spot where Abdul fell does now have tactile paving, which has been in place since December.

In response to Abdul's case, Network Rail, Avanti West Coast and Northern have all said they are sorry to hear of Abdul's experiences and are all working alongside industry partners to make the rail service more accessible.

Network Rail added: "Our programme to install tactile paving on platforms at stations across Britain by 2025 is continuing at pace, bolstered by £75 million of funding allocated by Government to accelerate it last year.

"This includes extensive improvement work at Manchester Piccadilly, with tactile paving installed along the lengths of platforms 13 and 14 at the start of this year."

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