Intervention by rail employees shown to combat track suicides

Rail staff are being trained by a charity in suicide prevention in an attempt to stem hundreds of deaths on Britain’s rail tracks each year.

Around one in six rail staff are now trained to prevent people taking their lives on the railway, as part of the suicide prevention partnership between Samaritans, Network Rail, British Transport Police (BTP) and the wider rail industry.

The charity said that between April 2016 and the end of March this year, 1,593 interventions were made across the UK’s rail network by staff, British Transport Police, local police and the public, an increase of 40% on the previous year.

In the same period, suicides and suspected suicides on the rail network dropped from 253 to 237, showing a decline in rail suicides for the second year in a row.

Samaritans delivers two training courses for railway staff and BTP officers as part of the partnership. One teaches them how to identify and approach people who may be suicidal. The other is trauma support training, aimed at those who may be affected by a suicide on the railway.

Ruth Sutherland, Samaritans chief executive said the reduction in suicides on the railway shows that the partnership was working.

She added: “Suicide is everybody’s business and we want to see the same dramatic reduction in suicide figures in general. We look forward to taking this learning to a wider audience and having an even greater impact on suicide numbers in the coming years.”

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 and of men and women aged 20-34, with those from more deprived communities particularly vulnerable.

Ian Stevens, who manages the suicide prevention programme on behalf of the rail industry, said the drop in deaths was encouraging.

“As the operators of the rail network in Britain, we have a responsibility to keep passengers, staff and members of the public safe.

“Alongside physical measures such as new barriers, fencing and lighting at stations, we will continue our work with Samaritans to prevent suicides and break down the stigma associated with mental health issues.”

Last year, Samaritans’ We Listen campaign was launched through the partnership with posters in railway stations across England, Scotland and Wales, highlighting the importance of seeking help if you are struggling to cope, rather than hiding your feelings and suffering in silence.

The campaign has been extended to hospitals, GP surgeries and sports events, and appears on the side of buses.