The London Underground network carries more than a billion passengers a year. It has one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys. Five accidents causing passenger deaths have occurred due to train operation in nearly 80 years since the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, the last being at Moorgate in 1975; other fatalities have been due to wartime and terrorist bombings and station fires.
Up to World War II
Charing Cross
Two accidents occurred near Charing Cross (now Embankment) in 1938. The accidents on separate lines were caused by wrong-side failures of the signals due to signal linesmen's wiring errors.
On 10 March, two Northern line trains collided between Waterloo and the station, with 12 passengers suffering minor injuries. On 17 May, two District line trains collided near the station, killing 6.
World War II
Bounds Green
On the night of 13 October 1940 a German bomb fell at Bounds Green station killing 16 people.
Balham
On 14 October 1940, during World War II, a bomb fell in the road above Balham station, with the blast penetrating into the tunnel 9 metres below. The water mains and sewage pipes were broken, causing flooding and the loss of 68 lives – 64 shelterers and 4 railway staff. The station and the tracks between Clapham South and Tooting Bec (then called Trinity Road, Tooting Bec) were closed until January 1941.
Bank
On 11 January 1941 during World War II the Central line ticket hall of Bank station suffered a direct hit from a German bomb. The roadway collapsed into the subways and station concourse, killing 56 people.
The Bethnal Green crush
On 3 March 1943 a crowd of people were entering what was to become Bethnal Green station, which was being used at the time as an air-raid shelter. An anti-aircraft battery, a few hundred yards away in Victoria Park, launched a salvo of a new type of anti-aircraft rockets, causing the crowd to surge forward. A woman tripped on the stairs causing many others to fall. Three hundred people were crushed into the stairwell, 173 died at the scene.
After World War II
Northwood crash
On 31 December 1945, two Metropolitan line trains collided in fog on an open-air section near Northwood. The driver of the second train had passed a danger signal under the "Stop and Proceed" rule but did not see the preceding train soon enough to stop. A fire was started by electrical arcing. 3 people were killed.
Edgware buffer stop collision
On 27 July 1946, a Northern line train hit the buffers at Edgware. No passengers were killed; the driver died, but it was shown that he had suffered a heart attack at the controls before the collision. It appeared that the dead man's handle had been disabled while the train was still moving.
Stratford crash
On 8 April 1953 two Central line trains collided in a tunnel section during disruption caused by a signal failure, killing 12 people.
Holland Park and Redbridge fires
Two train fires occurred on the Central line in 1958 and 1960, due to electrical short circuits in the trains causing arcing. In both cases the trains had to be evacuated in the tunnels and passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation. One passenger died in the Holland Park fire on 28 July 1958. There were no fatalities in the Redbridge fire on 11 August 1960.
Neasden collision
On 23 September 1968 a northbound ballast train passed three signals at danger and collided with the rear of a stationary Bakerloo Line passenger train standing in the platform. The driver of the ballast train died before he could be released, an accompanying inspector and the train's guard were taken to hospital and survived.
Moorgate crash
On 28 February 1975 a southbound Northern City Line train crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station. Forty-three people were killed in what was the greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. As the driver was one of the initial 43 dead, the cause of the incident was never conclusively determined, and an accidental death verdict was recorded at the official inquest.
Holborn rail crash
On 9 July 1980 a Central line train failed to stop in time after passing a signal at danger and being tripped by a train stop. The train hit another train standing in the westbound platform at Holborn. No serious injuries were caused by the accident. An inquiry concluded that the accident was caused by the motorman of the rear train failing to control his train.