Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • A19

News Follow us on Twitter evening tandard Monda 11 March 2013 19 Near miss: the huge building site drill crashed into the tunnel near Old Street dick Murray Transport Correspondent Train driver averts drill disaster in tunnel A trAin driver was declared a hero today after he helped prevent a catastrophe when a tunnel was pierced by a huge drill. the driver of the 10.02 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City had just gone through Old Street station on Friday when he saw muddy water pouring onto the roof of his train. He raised the alarm and services were halted. An empty train with another driver and a network rail manager were sent to investigate. As they neared the point from which the water was gushing, a piling drill from the building site above the tunnel broke through the roof and crashed onto the line.

the driver told the control room: was a tremendous amount of like a huge roman A senior rail source said: that drill had hit a crowded train the consequences do not bear thinking about. there could have been serious loss of neal Lawson, managing director of train operator First Capital Connect, said: could have ended very differently had it not been for the vigilance and prompt actions of our drivers. carry two million passengers a year on the northern City line and whoever is responsible for this must be held to British transport Police visited an office construction site above the tunnel. the construction is not connected to any work on the railway. the rail Accident investigation Branch has been notified.

Engineers from network rail worked around the clock to seal the roof with a metre-thick concrete plug. the tracks had been flooded, causing electrics and signals to fail. Services resumed today but the signals failed again and many trains were diverted to Cross during morning rush-hour. Disruption to services is expected to last all day. tonight engineers will resume pumping out water and mud.

in 1975, Moorgate was the scene of the single worst accident on the Under gound, when a tube train crashed into the end of a tunnel, killing 44. Oswald back on because so much clearer, brief, to the point and even when on the train you can still hear the She met Mr Laurence in 1992 on a trip to Morocco when he was working as a tour and cruise company guide. She was instantly taken by his they married in 2003 and were together until his death in 2007. She said: was terrific fun and had a great sense of fun and zest for life. He was a great raconteur.

to know you were going home and could just go to that station and hear his voice was really very special. Staff at Embankment station blamed technical difficulties for not getting Mr recording back on. nigel Holness, London Underground director, said everyone had been by the story, adding: are also working to restore the announcement at Embankment Widow waits for the to be played again Miranda Bryant Disappointed: Margaret McCollum at Embankment station on Saturday tHE widow of the man who provided the the tube announcement said she cannot wait to hear his voice again after transport bosses pledged to reinstate his message. Actor Oswald voice was heard by millions of passengers on northbound northern line platforms for four decades. its use was gradually reduced and was only being played at Embankment before it was stopped last november after the installation of a new PA system.

Margaret McCollum, who used to plan her tube journeys so that she would hear her late voice, was devastated when she found out his message was no longer being used. She approached tfL, which told her that the recording would be reinstated at the weekend, but when the retired GP returned to the station on Saturday she was disappointed that it was still using the new version. waiting eagerly seemingly lots of people who i know might be waiting eagerly, said Dr McCollum, 65, from north London. would have been touched by all the interest. along, been saying we are trying to put him back but it happened.

a bit disappointed. Maybe this publicity will spur technology people to solve whatever the problem is. i would be delighted if they could get Famous voice: Oswald message was heard by millions of passengers editorial Comment Page 14.