CCTV footage shows a young man rushing to board a train at Hitchin Station. As he realises the doors are about to close, he jumps towards the carriage from the platform but loses his footing, leaving his leg trapped in the gap between the platform edge and the train.
Thankfully, he was able to pull his foot free before the train departed, and the video shows he was escorted away from the area by two members of station staff.
Rise in incidents
Train operator Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Gatwick Express services, has reported a sharp rise in injuries caused by passengers falling while attempting to board trains. There have been 93 reported incidents so far this year involving people falling while trying to board a train — a 43% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
However, GTR said overall slips, trips and falls across its network have fallen by 5% year-on-year following the launch of its ‘Travel Safe with Diane Morgan’ campaign earlier this year.
Summer travel warning
With the summer holiday season now in full swing, GTR is urging passengers travelling to London Gatwick Airport and other major destinations to take extra care and allow plenty of time for their journeys.
The warning comes as both Gatwick and Luton airports prepare for some of their busiest periods of the year, with thousands of passengers expected to travel by rail during the summer peak. Gatwick Airport has identified August 2, 9 and 16 as some of its busiest days, with around 900 flights scheduled on peak dates. Meanwhile, Luton Airport expects between 68,000 and 68,500 passengers on August 9 and 16, with around 360 flights planned on each of those days.
Safety advice
GTR is reminding passengers to avoid rushing for trains, keep their hands free where possible, and take extra care when travelling with luggage during the busy summer period.
Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for GTR, said: “It’s fantastic that the reach of our network enables people to travel to both Gatwick and Luton airports by rail. Travelling by train alleviates the stress of traffic and means your holiday can get started even earlier, but not if you end up injuring yourself on the journey.
“With lots of people travelling this summer who may not be familiar with our trains or our stations, we are taking the opportunity to share essential travel advice so that people take extra care. It’s positive to see an overall reduction in accidents across our network, but we really want to see a reduction in those attempting to jump on a train as the doors are closing as it results in completely avoidable injury. If your summer trip involves the train, please plan your journey and leave extra time for travelling so you don’t feel the need to rush.”
