Queensland Rail urges passengers to travel safe this Christmas

Published on : Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Queensland Rail is urging people to slow down, pay attention and ‘get a grip’ to remain safe on the rail network this festive season, following a 30 per cent spike in injuries this time last year.
Executive General Manager Customer Service Martin Ryan said past years had seen an increase in preventable injuries such as slips, trips and falls in December compared to other months.
“We want our customers to enjoy themselves travelling by train this holiday season, but our figures show it has not been a merry Christmas for some at this time of year,” Mr Ryan said.
“During December last year, 63 people injured themselves on the South East Queensland rail network, compared to an average 48 injuries each month through the rest of 2012,” he said.
“Around 60 per cent of all injuries in December were from slips, trips or falls, and more than half of these required some form of medical treatment.
“Common places for slips, trips or falls were on escalators or stairs, with majority occurring at inner city stations, including 14 injuries at Central station and eight at Roma St in December.
“Some of the common causes for incidents this time of year were people rushing, not paying attention and being under the influence of alcohol.
“Everyone can take simple steps to travel safely during the holidays: please hold the hand rail, mind the gap, beware of closing doors, don’t run for the train and stay behind the yellow line.
“Some people don’t seem to realise slips, trips, and falls can leave you seriously injured, in hospital, and with lingering pain for the rest of your life.
“Most of these injuries can be prevented and we urge customers to be aware of their surroundings and to plan ahead so they don’t have to rush. “We aim to be the safest railway in Australia, and we want all our customers to have a safe and happy Christmas this year.”