Warning sign 'inadequate' when woman died leaning out of train
Bethan Roper, 28, died in 2018 on a train near Bath after another friend had already poked their head out of the window.
Wednesday 16 October 2019 15:34, UK
A warning sign has been ruled inadequate after a woman who leaned out of a train window died when she was struck by a tree branch.
Bethan Roper, 28, died on the Great Western Railway (GWR) train near Twerton, Bath, on 1 December last year.
She was leaning out of the window of a door when her head was struck by a tree branch as the train travelled at about 75mph.
As with many British trains, the door was fitted with a window which passengers push down to use the handle on the outside when they leave the train.
A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report has now found a warning sign above the droplight window met industry guidance but "did not adequately convey the level of risk".
The sign said: "Caution. Do not lean out of window when train is moving."
Investigators claimed the word "caution" suggested leaning out the window could be done safely if care was taken.
They also said it was much smaller than other signs around it and its background colour was yellow, when red would have been more appropriate for conveying danger.
After the death of a passenger leaning out of a window on a train in south London in August 2016, GWR completed a risk assessment of its droplight windows.
They planned to install enhanced warning signs with a red background by May 2018, but this had not yet happened when Miss Roper was killed seven months later.
GWR told investigators it did not meet its schedule as two staff members involved in the task left the company and a system which tracks work failed.
After Miss Roper's death the signs were updated.
The RAIB also said Network Rail, which is responsible for managing lineside vegetation, had not carried out a tree inspection of the area since 2009 and this is "possibly causal to the accident".
Miss Roper was on the London Paddington to Exeter service as she returned to Penarth, South Wales, from a Christmas shopping trip with friends.
The report said one of the group opened the window and at least one other friend leaned out before Miss Roper did the same at 10.04pm.
She was pronounced dead at Bristol Temple Meads station a few minutes later.
Miss Roper worked for the Welsh Refugee Council charity and was chairwoman of Young Socialists Cardiff.
Her father, Adrian Roper, said after her death that his daughter "enjoyed life to the full whilst working tirelessly for a better world".