J7 London Bombings Dossier
Index 10 - Edgware Road
Official version of events
A bomb exploded at 08.50 on a Circle Line train number 216. It killed 6 people, plus the alleged bomber, Mohammad Sidique Khan, and injured 163 others. The train had just left Edgware Road Station heading west towards Paddington. The force of the blast caused damage to the front part of a Hammersmith and City Line train that was passing in the opposite direction. “No fatalities or injuries were recorded on the Hammersmith and City line train”
Query
Were these the only trains involved?
Exhibits (ER1 - ER10)
ER1 and ER2 highlight the fact that Jenny Nicholson was killed on an eastbound train travelling towards Edgware Road.
ER3 and ER4 contain the early “official” story that the force of the blast blew a hole through the tunnel wall and damaged a train on an adjacent platform. ER3 (which is a British Embassy press release giving details of the press conference held on the afternoon of the 7th) also shows that Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick reported the explosion was on a train “coming into Edgware Road underground station” He “believed” that three trains were involved.
ER5 demonstrates that there was, in fact, no damage to the tunnel wall.
ER9 (Kurush Anklesaria) contains a graphic description of an explosion on a train travelling away from Paddington Station.
Related Information
Edgware Road Station (ERS1- ERS10)
Media Restricions (MR11- MR20)
Summary
There were at least four trains involved in the Edgware Road incidents. One of these was at a platform whilst travelling east and is the subject of the Edgware Road Station folder (supra) Another was in the tunnel, travelling east between Paddington and Edgware Road. According to JWP (ER7) there was at least one fatality on this.
It is a matter of record that Jenny Nicholson had boarded a train at Paddington It is perhaps surprising that her mother, a C of E vicar, who was the subject of a lot of media attention had not commented on this.
There are a number of references both here (ER8 - ER9) and in the “Devices” folder (D2-D3-D4) to the floors of carriages having blown upwards.
The lengths to which the authorities went to keep witnesses away from the media can be seen in the case of the two American sisters who were flown out under assumed names to Montreal where they were switched to another plane with a different crew to complete their journey home to Kentucky (MR18).
References
ER1
JENNY Nicholson, an advertising executive working in Tottenham Court Road, was confirmed dead yesterday (Wednesday). Miss Nicholson, 24, was killed in the Edware Road suicide blast on Thursday. Her tube carriage was going in the opposite direction to the train in which the bomber was travelling.
Source: Camden New Journal
ER2
More questions that need answering are:
1. How did Jenny Nicholson die on an eastbound train between Paddington and Edgware Rd?
ER3
At 9:17, there was an explosion on a train coming into Edgware Road underground station.
Source: Metropolitan Police Service
ER4
Edgware Road: Again 100 yards into the tunnel, the second carriage is targeted, the bomb smashing through the tunnel wall and hitting another train standing at an adjacent platform. Seven people are killed. An eighth victim dies later in hospital.
Source: This is London
ER5
Thank you for your request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, dated 5 April 2006 asking for -
* The numbers and lines of the other trains involved at Edgware Rd and whether there were any injuries or deaths on these other trains.
a Hammersmith & City line train, at Edgware sustained damage, while passing Circle line train 216 when the device exploded. No fatalities or injuries were recorded on the Hammersmith & City line train.Source: Bridget Dunne
ER6
The inside of the train at London's Edgware Road Underground station, where 7 people were killed in the July 7 attacks. [Click for large version]
Source: ABC News
ER7
(p 242) J W P – written testimony
I was in the eastbound Circle tube into witch the Edgware Road bomb blew from the westbound train.
We stopped at Paddington, but before reaching Edgware Road, there was an incredible noise, blackout, rapid deceleration of the train and billowing grey smoke that came towards me in slow motion.
At one stage the smoke seemed extremely suffocating and we started to move down the carriage.
There was a lot going on around me and I totally shut myself off to this – I remember requests for anyone with medical knowledge being sent down the carriage and also for water. I remember the counting down of someone’s pulse until they died and seeing lots of body parts in the adjacent carriage – which was beyond recognition.
Source: 7 July Review Comittee [PDF]
ER8
I was in the last carriage of the Circle Line train that had just left Paddington. The tube had just left when there was a sudden explosion and the square marked area in the centre of the tube exploded. By this time I had fallen down. There was black smoke everywhere and a very strong smell as if the wiring in the carriage was burning. The awful part was when we had to wait for at least 30 minutes before being evacuated. I knew that a bomb had exploded and the worst part for me during the next 30 minutes was the wait. After a painful 30 minutes we were told to walk up to the front carriage and down the tunnel. As I walked I began crying because I could not bear to see the state of the front 3 carriages. There was smashed glass everywhere, the carriage had almost melted. Everyone around me began crying. I must say that the people in my carriage were very calm and patient.
Sharan, Middlesex, LondonSource: BBC News
ER9
Kurush Anklesaria (Paddington)
"I was on the train going from Bayswater station sitting in the first compartment of the train and after passing Paddington station at about 08:50 there was a huge blast just at the side of my feet and part of the floor was ripped open."Source: News 24
ER10
YOTTY TODA
I was in the train when the blast occurred between Edgware Road and Paddington.
I heard the immense bang and tried to look out the window.
All I saw was another train passing by mine and the two were stopped very close to each other in the tunnel.
Right after the explosion, thick black smoke came into our carriage.
It was powdery, thick smoke. Everyone tried to cover their noses and mouths with handkerchiefs and tissue paper.
It seemed to last a long time, but it must have been less than two minutes until we were told to evacuate the train.
I was in the second carriage so I had to go through the first one in order to evacuate.
When I reached the end of the first carriage, I thought I would see the driver's compartment, but it was totally blown off.
I saw parts of the compartment - such as the doors and the roof - scattered around the track.
I was helped down to the track by underground staff and we walked all the way to the Edgware Road station in the dark tunnel.
Source: BBC News
