Subways and tunnels: emergencies underground

Many subways and urban railways get their power from an extra rail beside the running rails or from a line overhead. This power rail can be live even when no train is coming. On top of that, trains approach quickly and almost silently in the tunnel. The track is therefore an area that only trained staff enter, after the power has been switched off.

When there is a problem, the operator plans the evacuation centrally: it switches off the power, stops other trains, opens escape routes and sends staff. This sometimes takes time, and the wait feels long. But people who open doors on their own and climb into the tunnel end up in areas that have not yet been made safe.

Smoke spreads along the tube in a tunnel, and stairs and passages are narrow. When many people want to get out at the same time, dangerous crushes can occur. Crowd science research describes how high crowd density on stairs and in narrow passages becomes dangerous – and how calm, orderly walking lowers the risk.

A few seconds of attention on every trip are enough. When you board, glance at where the emergency intercom, fire extinguisher and door release are in the carriage. On the platform, note the exits. Exactly how the emergency brake, intercom and door release work differs between networks – the notices in the carriage explain it.

On the platform, wait behind the safety line and hold children by the hand. Secure buggies with the brake so that they do not roll towards the edge. If something has fallen onto the track, do not fetch it yourself; tell the staff or use the emergency call point.

If your train stops in a tunnel, stay calm, listen for announcements and use the emergency intercom if someone needs help, for example with a circulation problem. Stay in the train until staff instruct you to get off.

With smoke or fire, move away from the smoke, not towards it to have a look. Follow the exit signs and the staff and do not use lifts – they can get stuck or travel into the smoke. General fire safety guides such as the US emergency management agency FEMA's „Are You Ready?“ stress exactly these points. Call the local emergency number (112 in the EU) as soon as you can.

If there is an evacuation, follow the instructions and leave luggage behind. Bags and suitcases make narrow routes even narrower and trip other people up. Help one another, especially children, older people and people with disabilities. On steps and uneven ground, walk slowly and use a torch or your phone light.

To avoid crushes, do not push, do not stop on stairs, and move to the side if the crowd becomes denser. Walking calmly and steadily helps everyone get out faster.

If the power fails in a station, emergency lighting switches on and shows the escape routes. Escalators stop and become ordinary stairs – just with unusually high steps. Walk slowly and hold the handrail.

Some tunnels have no mobile coverage. Then emergency intercoms and call points are the way to get help. A small headlamp in your bag does no harm, but a phone light is usually enough.

Subway networks have well-trained staff, planned procedures, emergency lighting and signage. Serious emergencies are rare. The notices of the respective operator are what counts, because technical details differ from city to city.

This text deliberately does not explain how to evacuate along the track without staff. That is not an oversight: getting out into the tunnel on your own is life-threatening, and the best help you can give is calm, consideration and passing information on via the emergency intercom.