I was watching the east Coast Trains program and a woman dropped her bag from the platform onto the track. Well, to the side of the track, obviously, between the platform and the rail. Apparently it happens a lot.
Now, a medium length stick with a hook would be all you would need to extricate any bag from this parlous position (bags having convenient handles etc to hook, and the platform staff knowing how long till the next train is due) but no; the protocol is to first of all get control, to stop all trains that might be headed for that platform; when confirmed, then the member of staff walks all the way to the end of the platform, down the ramp to the track, walks all the way back along the track, retrieves the offending bag; retraces route, returns along platform, and rings control, who are then able to finally resume train access to the platform.
Going back to the OP, I think the account we have been given is rather coloured. If however you were the railway person given charge of that platform, and part of your job description was to make sure people stayed away from the edge of the platform, and you failed to carry out your job and someone was killed, then like Christopher McGee you could end up in jail for 5 years so I think you are being a tad harsh.
I think your implicit argument that a train platform supervisor should assume that anyone who wants to photograph a train automatically is imbued with immunity from death and disaster, and can automatically be viewed as a person who CAN be allowed right at the very edge of a platform where a train is approaching, to actually be slightly barking.
In this case I don't think the railway staff were acting out of fear of a compensation culture but a reasonable desire to not risk either people being squashed by trains or a few years at Her Majesty's pleasure.
HTH
