Safety first

摘要

The 2m passengers who use London's antiquated, crumbling tube system every day have got used to being jammed in like sardines. But until now, despite the lack of air-conditioning and modern facilities, they felt relatively safe. London Underground (LU) has one of the best safety records of any of the older metro systems in the world, with just one fatal accident for every 300m journeys. This week two derailments within 36 hours have triggered massive media coverage and a witch-hunt for somebody to blame. Both accidents, the first on the Piccadilly line near Hammersmith, the second on the Northern line near Camden Town, caused serious inconvenience, but only two passengers had to be detained in hospital, one with a broken leg, the other with head and back injuries.