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?

In message
wrote:

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?

Don't.


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

There are 4 rails, all carry electrical currents at different potentials.


Will stepping on a live rail result in immediate death?

Not unlikely

What is the safe distance from a live rail?

The platform.

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?

No.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

On 27 Mar, 18:09, Graeme Wall wrote:

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

Don't.

So, your recommendation would be to remain on the platform and be
assaulted? I'm sure the death-rate for crossing tracks is not
negligible, but surely it is not as high as the death-rate from being
stabbed in the chest?

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

There are 4 rails, all carry electrical currents at different potentials.

So just avoid all of them then? Thanks for the info. Could be
especially useful if the assailants attempt to give chase and are
unaware of what will happen to them if they tread on the rails.

What is the safe distance from a live rail? *

The platform.

I live near a tube track and have, over the years, seen thousands of
workmen cross the tracks (as well as a few drunk teenagers). They all
survived, so your statement that it is impossible to get near a track
safely is untrue.

In message
wrote:

On 27 Mar, 18:09, Graeme Wall wrote:

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

Don't.

So, your recommendation would be to remain on the platform and be
assaulted? I'm sure the death-rate for crossing tracks is not
negligible, but surely it is not as high as the death-rate from being
stabbed in the chest?

How many people have been electrocuted by live rails and how many have been
stabbed on Underground stations?


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

There are 4 rails, all carry electrical currents at different potentials.

So just avoid all of them then? Thanks for the info. Could be
especially useful if the assailants attempt to give chase and are
unaware of what will happen to them if they tread on the rails.

How many people have been chased by potential assailants on Underground
stations?


What is the safe distance from a live rail? *

The platform.

I live near a tube track and have, over the years, seen thousands of
workmen cross the tracks (as well as a few drunk teenagers). They all
survived, so your statement that it is impossible to get near a track
safely is untrue.


I ddn't say it was impossible, I said the safe distance was from the
platform. The workmen are trained to cross the tracks safely and the power
is often switched off when they cross anyway.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:53:37 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On 27 Mar, 18:09, Graeme Wall wrote:

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

Don't.

So, your recommendation would be to remain on the platform and be
assaulted? I'm sure the death-rate for crossing tracks is not
negligible, but surely it is not as high as the death-rate from being
stabbed in the chest?

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

There are 4 rails, all carry electrical currents at different potentials.

So just avoid all of them then? Thanks for the info. Could be
especially useful if the assailants attempt to give chase and are
unaware of what will happen to them if they tread on the rails.

What is the safe distance from a live rail? *

The platform.

I live near a tube track and have, over the years, seen thousands of
workmen cross the tracks (as well as a few drunk teenagers). They all
survived, so your statement that it is impossible to get near a track
safely is untrue.

Not getting killed by something does not mean that it was "safe".

On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:53:37 -0700 (PDT) someone who may be
wrote this:-

There are 4 rails, all carry electrical currents at different potentials.

So just avoid all of them then?

That is good advice. The best way of doing this is to remain on the
platform.

I live near a tube track and have, over the years, seen thousands of
workmen cross the tracks (as well as a few drunk teenagers). They all
survived,

Not all of them do. Go to news.bbc.co.uk and type "girl
electrocuted" and "boy electrocuted" into the search box you will
read of many of those who did not.

You will have to look harder to find stories about staff who have
been killed, but it does happen.

so your statement that it is impossible to get near a track safely

Not a statement he made. What is untrue is your distortion of what
he did say.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:50:23 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

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?

"Do not step on any rail".

In message
,
writes
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.

As I understand it you cannot cross the rails to another platform on the
tube except where the stations are in the open air. On the sub-surface
lines (i.e. not the tube), you can, though.


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

By the footbridge, subway or equivalent.


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

You should assume that all of them are live.


Will stepping on a live rail result in immediate death?

It might and it might not. It depends what is insulating your feet.
However, you don't have to step on a rail to contact it: you could brush
against it or, if the voltage is high enough and you get close enough to
the rail without touching it, you could get a flashover.

Note that stepping on a live rail doesn't seem to affect the pigeons.

What is the
safe distance from a live rail?

Stay on the platform. It is against the law for an unauthorised person
to be on the track.

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?

--
Jane
British OO, American and Australian HO, and DCC in the garden
http://www.yddraiggoch.demon.co.uk/railway/railway.html

On Mar 27, 7:06*pm, Jane Sullivan
wrote:

As I understand it you cannot cross the rails to another platform on the
tube except where the stations are in the open air. On the sub-surface
lines (i.e. not the tube), you can, though.


Even that is not true.

There are many open sections where that are ''line clear'' (which
means in simple terms are treated the same as tunnels) i.e. the
Jubilee all the between Stratford and Canning Town portal is one.


--
Nick

On 28 Mar, 21:29, D7666 wrote:
There are many open sections where that are ''line clear'' (which
means in simple terms are treated the same as tunnels) i.e. the
Jubilee all the between Stratford and Canning Town portal is one.

I think we can all wholeheartedly recommend jumping between the
platforms on that stretch (well, except the third one at Stratford).

U

--
http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/
A blog about transport projects in London