The London Underground network carries more than a billion passengers a year. It has one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys. Five accidents causing passenger deaths have occurred due to train operation in over 90 years since the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, the last being at Moorgate in 1975; other fatalities have been due to wartime and terrorist bombings, station fires and passengers falling on to tracks at stations.
Up to World War II DateUnderground lineLocation/StationIncidentDeathsInjuries10 March 1938Northern lineNear Charing Cross (now Embankment)Two Northern line trains collided between Waterloo and the station, with 12 passengers suffering minor injuries. 1217 May 1938District lineNear Charing Cross (now Embankment)Two District line trains collided near the station, killing 6. The two accidents coincidentally near the same station but on separate lines were both caused by wrong-side failures of the signals due to signal linesmen's wiring errors.6
World War II DateUnderground lineLocation/StationIncidentDeathsInjuries13 October 1940Piccadilly lineBounds Green stationAt night a German bomb fell at Bounds Green station killing 16 people.1614 October 1940Northern lineRoad above Balham stationDuring World War II, a bomb fell in the road above Balham station, with the blast penetrating into the tunnel 9 metres below. The water mains and sewage pipes were broken, causing flooding and the loss of 68 lives – 64 shelterers and 4 railway staff. The station and the tracks between Clapham South and Tooting Bec (then called Trinity Road, Tooting Bec) were closed until January 1941.6811 January 1941Central line (ticket hall)Bank stationDuring World War II the Central line ticket hall of Bank station suffered a direct hit from a German bomb. The roadway collapsed into the subways and station concourse, killing 56 people.563 March 1943Central lineBethnal Green stationA crowd of people were entering what was to become Bethnal Green station, which was being used at the time as an air-raid shelter. An anti-aircraft battery, a few hundred yards away in Victoria Park, launched a salvo of a new type of anti-aircraft rockets, causing the crowd to surge forward. A woman tripped on the stairs causing many others to fall. Three hundred people were crushed into the stairwell, 173 died at the scene.173300
After World War II +DateUnderground lineLocation/StationIncidentDeathsInjuries31 December 1945Metropolitan lineNear NorthwoodTwo Metropolitan line trains collided in fog on an open-air section near Northwood. The driver of the second train had passed a danger signal under the "Stop and Proceed" rule but did not see the preceding train soon enough to stop. A fire was started by electrical arcing. 3 people were killed.3027 July 1946Northern lineEdgware tube stationA Northern line train hit the buffers at Edgware. No passengers were killed; the driver died, but it was shown that he had suffered a heart attack at the controls before the collision. It appeared that the dead man's handle had been disabled while the train was still moving.105 December 1946Central lineNear to signal post A491, StratfordTwo Central line trains collided in a tunnel section during disruption caused by a signal failure. The line was not yet open for passenger service, but 1 railway employee was killed.138 April 1953Central lineNear to signal post A491, Stratford Two Central line trains collided in a tunnel section during disruption caused by a signal failure, killing 12 people. The location was the same as for the 1946 accident.124628 July 1958Central lineBetween Shepherds Bush station and Holland Park stationA train fire occurred approaching Holland Park station, due to an electrical short circuit in the train causing severe arcing. The train had to be evacuated in the tunnel, but this was delayed because the Rules at the time did not anticipate a fire situation. Almost all passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation, and there was a delay in calling ambulances. Forty-eight passengers and three rail crew were taken to hospital, and ten were admitted. One passenger died.15111 August 1960Central lineBetween Redbridge and Gants HillA train fire occurred near Redbridge station, due to an electrical short circuit in the train causing severe arcing, exacerbated by a delay in switching off traction current. The train had to be evacuated in the tunnel and passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation. There were no fatalities.04123 September 1968Bakerloo lineNeasden stationA northbound ballast train passed three signals at danger and collided with the rear of a stationary Bakerloo Line passenger train standing in the platform. The driver of the ballast train died before he could be released, an accompanying inspector and the train's guard were taken to hospital and survived.128 February 1975Northern City lineMoorgate stationA southbound Northern City Line train crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station. Forty-three people were killed in what was the greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. Seventy-four people were injured. As the driver was one of the initial 43 dead, the cause of the incident was never conclusively determined, and an accidental death verdict was recorded at the official inquest.43749 July 1980Central lineHolborn stationA Central line train failed to stop in time after passing a signal at danger and being tripped by a train stop. The train hit another train standing in the westbound platform at Holborn. No serious injuries were caused by the accident, and although twenty people were evacuated to hospital, only two stayed overnight. An inquiry concluded that the accident was caused by the motorman of the rear train failing to control his train.020 August 1984Central lineLeyton stationFollowing a signal failure a short distance inside the westbound tunnel between Leyton and Stratford, a train was being used as protection by the technician investigating the fault. The driver of the following train correctly applied the rules at the westbound starting signal at Leyton, but failed to control the speed of the train on the steep downhill gradient and collided with the rear of the stationary train. The driver of the second train was killed and 33 others were injured. 13323 November 1984Victoria lineOxford Circus stationA fire raged inside Oxford Circus station. It started at 9.50 p.m. in a materials store and was declared extinguished at 3 a.m. the next day. Fourteen people were treated for smoke inhalation. The probable cause of the fire was smoker's materials being pushed through a ventilation grille into the materials store. This ignited rags or paint thinner within the store.1411 December 1984Metropolitan lineKilburn stationA northbound Metropolitan line train incorrectly passed a signal at danger in foggy weather. The driver reset the controls, moved forward, and was killed when the train collided with a stationary train in front.116 October 1986Bakerloo lineKensal Green stationA stationary southbound Bakerloo line train at Kensal Green station was struck in the rear by a Class 313 British Rail service on the Euston to Watford Junction line "The DC line". 23 passengers were injured. The driver of the class 313 passed the protecting stop signal as though it were at caution when it only showed a 'calling on' aspect. The (apparently distracted) driver of the Class 313 observed the train stop lower at the stop signal but failed to notice that the signal had only displayed a calling on aspect. A further protecting repeater signal had been temporarily removed while a retaining wall was being removed but the preceding stop signal had been modified to show a maximum 'caution' aspect for the duration. The accident report criticised the fact that the calling on aspect looked much the same as the yellow 'proceed at caution' aspect but for its position on the signal head.
The Euston to Watford Junction line was, at this time, signalled with an experimental system (installed in 1932–3) where a stop signal automatically changed to a calling on aspect after a 70-80 second time delay. The repeater signals, unusually, were able to show green, yellow, or red aspects but were not equipped with train stops. A driver was permitted to pass a red repeater after one minute. Although intended to overcome local signal failures, the more intensive service of the past occasionally produced the spectacle of several trains occupying the same section buffer-to-buffer. Normally, on this system, there were always at least two (and often three) red signals behind any train. Though not unique at the time of installation, the system was the sole example of its type at the time of the collision. The system has since been replaced by a Network Rail standard colour light system, work for which was actually taking place when the accident occurred.02318 September 1987District lineRichmond stationA District line train of London Underground D stock failed to stop in time at Richmond station. The train hit the buffers and broke an adjacent glass panel. No serious injuries were caused by the accident. Sixteen people were minorly injured.1618 November 1987 -King's Cross stationA large fire broke out in King's Cross St Pancras station. Thirty-one people died, killed by the toxic fumes and extreme heat of the blaze. The fire was the result of a discarded match or cigarette igniting debris, detritus and grease beneath the wooden escalators. As a result of this, the widely ignored smoking ban was more rigorously enforced throughout the system. All of the network's wooden escalators have now been replaced, and other measures have been put in place to help prevent a repeat incident.3125 January 2003Central lineChancery LaneA Central line train of 1992 stock derailed at Chancery Lane, injuring 32 passengers, after a motor became detached from the train. The entire line, and the Waterloo & City line (which also uses 1992 Stock trains), were closed for approximately three months whilst the cause of the failure was determined and appropriate modifications made to the trains.03217 October 2003Piccadilly lineEast of Hammersmith stationThe last carriage of a 6-car eastbound Piccadilly line train of 1973 stock derailed east of Hammersmith station. The cause was a broken rail. None of the 70 passengers on board were injured.0019 October 2003Northern lineApproaching Camden Town stationThe last carriage of a 6-car Northern line train of 1995 stock derailed on the approach to Camden Town station. The derailed car hit a wall and the fifth car was partially derailed. Seven passengers were injured, 6 of whom had minor injuries. The other injury was a broken femur. The cause was a poorly designed set of points. The tunnel wall was damaged, and had to be repaired.0711 May 2004Central lineApproaching White City stationThe leading bogie of the 7th car of an 8-car Central line train of 1992 stock derailed on a set of points during the approach to White City station. None of the 150 passengers on board were injured; a normal train service was restored the next day. The cause was found to be in the design of the set of points at locations with specific characteristics and a switch rail that had been replaced the day before the accident.