It's definitely not advisable to try and cross the tracks at all. Bear in
mind that all tube stations are extensively covered by CCTV these days and
the chances of any assailants even making it out of the station without
being arrested are small.

If you really do find yourself in the highly unlikely situation of being
menaced by a clockwork orange gang and you dont have a sock full of billiard
balls handy, the running rails typically have no current going through them.
The rail in the middle and the outside 4th rail are the ones to watch out
for. they have -210 volts and +420 volts running through them respectively.
In the old days they did use the running rails as earth/return current rails
but as far as I know they dont these days due to problems with arcing and
current spilling off into tunnel linings and gas and water mains.

Very, very foolish to even think about running across the tracks though.
You'd probably be in as much trouble as if you were the assailant maybe even
more so.

G

wrote in message
...
It is very easy to find oneself on a tube platform with a group of
potential assailants positioned between oneself and the exit. In such
situations the only means of escape, should the group turn hostile,
would be across the tracks to the neighbouring platform.

What is the recommended method of crossing tracks in these situations?

There seem to be a variable number of rails making up the tracks,
usually about 5. Which of these are 'live'?

Will stepping on a live rail result in immediate death? What is the
safe distance from a live rail? Is it safe to tread on a live rail
with only one foot with the other in the air, in order to avoid
earthing the current?