Transport for London (TfL) has been called upon to create a “tangible plan” aimed at safeguarding intoxicated passengers from fatal incidents on its network, following the tragic death of an artist in a Tube tunnel after a night out in the city.

Sarah Cunningham, 31, lost her life after being struck by a northbound Northern line train when she ventured onto the tracks and entered a tunnel at Chalk Farm station in north London around 03:30 GMT on November 2.

In a report aimed at preventing future fatalities, senior coroner for Inner North London, Mary Hassell, stated that “the risk to the [intoxicated] individual does not seem to occupy a central place in TfL’s corporate considerations.”

TfL has been contacted for a response.

The coroner at Poplar Coroner’s Court determined that Ms. Cunningham, who had consumed cocaine and ketamine prior to her death, was not suicidal.

The inquiry revealed that after spending five minutes in the entrance hall, a member of the public allowed her to pass through barriers that were left unattended, as one staff member was on a break and another was preoccupied with an urgent phone call and not monitoring the CCTV.

Later, a staff member checked the platform where Ms. Cunningham had been, assuming she had boarded a train. However, she had walked down the tracks into a tunnel, where she was struck by a train 18 minutes later.

Her remains were discovered two days later, approximately 245 feet (75 meters) into the tunnel.

The coroner commented, “Realistically, some passengers on the London Underground will be intoxicated, and this reality should inform TfL’s corporate strategies.”

She mentioned having heard about a TfL investigation following Sarah Cunningham’s death but noted that the insights derived from it seem to be largely aspirational, lacking a definitive plan.

The family of Sarah states that there were “numerous opportunities” for intervention.

Lawyers from Leigh Day, representing Sarah’s family, expressed concern that TfL doesn’t seem to have committed to any measures aimed at mitigating the risks of similar incidents in the future.

They expressed hope that TfL would seize this moment to implement substantial changes to ensure the safety of individuals on the transport network.

The coroner also pointed out that “passenger intoxication is acknowledged as a risk to London Underground staff” by TfL.

She added, “It is widely recognized that extreme intoxication poses a risk to the individual as well. However, it seems to me that the safety of the individual may not be a primary focus in TfL’s corporate agenda.”

TfL has until June 16 to respond to the coroner’s findings.