Two passengers have suffered serious injuries while boarding Elizabeth Line trains at Ealing Broadway due to the size of the gap between the train and the platform.
Rolf Kern, 82, is considering legal action after he gashed his shin while trying to board a service at the west London station.
He told the BBC he missed his step and “fell flat on the floor” while trying to step onto the train.
Mr Kern said: “I immediately realised I'd hurt myself very badly.
"The wound was very bad. It was a two-inch gap under the knee and the skin was actually totally detached. It's very, very serious."
The pensioner said the step to the train is around 12 to 14 inches high, labelling it as “unacceptable” considering how much money has been invested in the modern line.
Weeks earlier Eric Leach broke his foot and bruised his knee as he stepped off a train at the same platform.
He recalled feeling terrified looking at the gap before he broke a bone in his left foot and “mashed up my right knee”.
Mr Leach told BBC London: "It's a scandal, someone will be seriously injured or die. It's a death trap."
He added: "I was on the ground for about 20 minutes. I was taken home in a taxi and a couple of days later I realised I was bad so I went to Ealing Hospital. "
Mr Leach has warned that parents with buggies, people with heavy luggage and elderly people have been struggling with the large gap.
At Ealing Broadway station on Tuesday, Derick Peters, 54, told the Standard: “I've seen a number people, especially young people, who leave the train and fall between the gap so parents have to grab them to stop them from dropping through.
“There's definitely a hazard and it's something that was always known, but they didn't do anything about it when they were renovating the whole station.”
Jasmin Nisco, 19, told the Standard: “The gaps can be a bit of a hazard especially for disabled people. On the Elizabeth line every single station has a really big gap which is a nuisance, but what can you do?”
Safety guidance means any new platforms should not have a horizontal gap larger than 27.5cm (10.8in) or a vertical gap of more than 23cm (9in).
But the BBC reports that Rail Safety and Standards Board rules only apply to new stations.
Since Ealing Broadway used to be used for GWR trains travelling out of London Paddington the rules do not apply.
A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said: “We are sorry that some customers have sustained injuries at Ealing Broadway station and we wish them a full and speedy recovery.
“Safety is our number one priority and while the height difference between the train and the platform at this station, which is owned by Network Rail, and all Elizabeth line stations comply with the required safety standards, we recognise that it can be larger at some older stations.
“We provide manual boarding ramps for anyone who requires them and staff are available for anyone who needs assistance. We also make on-train announcements reminding passengers to mind the gap when leaving the train. We continue to work with our operator, MTR-Elizabeth line, and our infrastructure provider, Network Rail, to ensure all our stations remain safe and accessible for all our customers.”
Have you suffered a serious injury at Ealing Broadway station? Email jacob.phillips@standard.co.uk
