Public behaviour
The rail industry needs to work together to tackle the trespass and suicide on the railway.
Managing trespass and suicide is of utmost importance to our railway. Trespassing on railway lines and intentional acts of self-harm not only endanger the lives of the individuals involved but can traumatise others and disrupt the safe and efficient operation of the network. Implementing effective strategies to manage trespass and suicide attempts is crucial for ensuring the safety of passengers, staff and the public.
To provide a common framework for trespass risk assessments, RSSB has written a standard which sets out requirements and guidance for conducting, implementing and reviewing trespass risk assessments in order to help the industry manage this risk.
There were 236 suicides and suspected suicides on the railway in 2022/23. While this number is too high, it does represent the lowest number over the past five years. Data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) up to 2021 shows that suicide rates nationally have remained relatively constant over the past 20 years1. Railway suicides account for approximately 4% of national suicides; this is also the lowest proportion over the past five years.
Still, CIRAS has seen a significant increase in the number of reports relating to trespass (see charts), and there is likely an underlying issue that we are yet to understand.
Higher quality data on trespass incidents would allow us to target better the controls needed to manage the risk effectively. The formation of the new TreSPSG group will be bring more collaboration and an opportunity to share data more closely so that we can understand public behaviour risk better.
In 2017, 11-year-old Harrison Ballantyne tragically passed away after he was electrocuted by overhead power cables while trying to retrieve a football from Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal. This is his story, courtesy of Network Rail.
1 Suicides in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)