'Slam door train killed my daughter'

The family of a City worker who fell to her death from a slam door train have blamed the rail industry for failing to improve safety standards.

The parents of Joanne Swain, 29, believe she would still be alive if new sliding door carriages had been introduced on commuter routes into London instead of lying idle at depots.

A police investigation into the death of Miss Swain, whose body was discovered next to tracks near Paddock Wood station in Kent, has concluded that she may have opened the train door thinking she had arrived at her station.

Miss Swain, a "bright and vivacious" employee of the ABN Amro investment bank, was last seen boarding a late-night Connex service from London Bridge to Canterbury West on 18 January.

Her father Richard Swain, 59, blamed train companies for continuing to use antiquated carriages with slam doors, which unlike sliding doors can be opened by passengers while in transit.

He is angry that more than 100 sliding door trains bought by Connex last year for about £220 million - for use on main commuter routes including the one his daughter travelled on - are still lying idle at Ashford and Derby because they don't work properly.

Mr Swain, from Staplehurst, said: "The fact is my daughter would not have died if she had been travelling on a sliding door train because she wouldn't have been able to open the door.

"It's incredible that Connex has sliding door trains sitting at Ashford but no one has the technology to get them moving. Given the record of accidents involving slam door trains, getting rid of them should be a priority. The rail industry needs to get its finger out."

The train on which Miss Swain had been travelling was impounded by scenes of crime officers, and tests have found nothing wrong with the closing mechanisms of the doors.

Inspector David Brady, of British Transport Police, said: "It is looking like a tragic accident but we will have to wait and see what the coroner says at the inquest later this spring. It is possible she fell asleep, suddenly woke up and thought she was at a station."

Inspector Brady said he knew of three deaths and one serious injury involving slam door trains in the South-East in the past six months.

He said: "It is obvious to anyone that these four incidents, including Joanne Swain, would not have occurred had there been sliding doors."

More than 500 people travelled on the same service as Miss Swain at various points but no one saw her fall. Paddock Wood, where her body was found, is two stations away from Staplehurst where she lived. Her family and the police believe it is highly unlikely she killed herself.

Connex, South West Trains and South Central, the three companies still using slam door trains, have until the end of 2004 to replace them.

The new rolling stock ordered by Connex has been plagued by technical hitches. There is not currently enough trackside power to run the trains in 12-car carriages and there are also problems with the doors.

A Connex spokeswoman said tests were being carried out to resolve the hitches as soon as possible.

She said: "We are all on the case to get slam door trains phased out. They are old and customers can open the doors themselves. But there are questions of safety and reliability, it is important that the new trains work properly.

"We are extremely concerned to hear about the situation with this woman and our thoughts go out to her family and friends. The government guidelines state we need to get rid of slam door trains by 2004 and we are on target for that. We will hopefully be bringing in new stock in the next couple of months."