TfL Ref: FOI-2392-2425

Thank you for your further request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 25 October 2024. 

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require.

Specifically you asked for:

1. Details held by the authority regarding an incident on 29 January 2011 at Clapham North Station when a visually impaired person (VIP) fell onto the track.

In accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation, some of the information you have requested has been withheld as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act as it could reveal the identity of the individual concerned. Disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle of Article 5 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions which would make the processing ‘fair’.

This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.

Please find the following details in the table below:  

If the information you are seeking relates to a client, under data protection legislation individuals are entitled to ask to access any personal information we hold about them. Information on how to make a 'Subject Access request' is available on our website here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/privacy-and-cookies/access-your-data.  

2. All information regarding the response time to the platform emergency communication system, and without prejudice to that generality, the results of any emergency communication system tests, showing the expected response time to a platform  message “person on the line”: and how long it would take to stop incoming trains in that event.

The information you have requested is exempt from disclosure under Sections 24 (National Security) and 38 (Health and Safety) of the FOI Act. In this instance the exemptions have been applied as disclosure of the information you have requested would be likely to adversely affect the safety and security of TfL employees and members of the general public as well as national security.

Disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’. This information could potentially be obtained and utilised by individuals who may wish to use this detailed level technical information to cause disruption or harm to TfL’s network.

Disclosure of information could compromise security and safety preparedness and would place members of the public and TfL staff at risk by highlighting areas on the network which could be susceptible to being targeted. It is our concern that the release of details about the operating environment could be combined with other information already in the public domain to help plan an attack.

Whilst we make no suggestion that you would use the information for anything other than your own personal interest, the London Underground system and our other networks are attractive terrorist targets for several reasons including their importance to London and the knock on effect to the nation’s economy if they are disrupted, the publicity gained from attacking an iconic transport system and the attractiveness of the system for a mass casualty attack due to its open, mass transport nature. It is also important to the functioning of London and its economy.

The use of these exemptions is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance the public interest in applying the exemption, in order to minimise risks to operational resilience, safe operation of the London Underground network, the welfare of TfL staff and members of the general public, outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

3. Accident and near miss statistics from 1 November 2014 to date showing all platform train interface events during that period and without prejudice to that generality the number of person on the line alerts received during that period. 

The information you have requested is available on our website in response to a similar information request, published here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-0388-2425

In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal. 

Yours sincerely,

Mary Abidakun

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London