Boy, 11, hit by tram was dragged ’15 to 20 metres’ along platform

A 11-year-old boy left with life-changing injuries after he was caught between a platform and a departing tram was dragged along for about 15 metres (49ft), inspectors have said.

Travis became trapped at Crossacres tram stop in Wythenshawe in Manchester on 7 October as the tram pulled away and has remained in intensive care since.

His family said he was a “lovely little lad” who was on a “long road to recovery” after undergoing several operations.

The independent Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has confirmed it has launched a formal probe into how the incident on Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink service occurred.

Travis’s family wrote on 19 October in a GoFundMe page set up after the accident that the 11-year-old remained in intensive care.

In an update, the regulator said Travis became trapped at about 15:37 BST by the departing tram.

He was then “dragged along the platform for around 15 to 20 metres, suffering life-changing injuries as a result”, the RAIB said.

Inspectors have confirmed their probe would cover the actions of those involved and anything that may have influenced them.

Also under scrutiny are the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks with dispatching trams from tram stops, and of running two trams coupled together.

Staff management, training and competence would also be looked at, RAIB said.

Transport for Greater Manchester, which runs the tram network, previously said it was supporting the police, the Office of Rail and Road, and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch which was investigating the incident.