Trespass and suicide
The rail industry needs to work collaboratively to reduce trespass and suicide on the railway.
The railway recognises the duty of care it owes to all who enter its boundary. It is aware of the impact of trespass and suicide events on the people who are killed or injured and their loved ones. It is also aware of the impact on the safety, health, and wellbeing of staff and passengers.
2024/25 saw an increase in the numbers of fatalities resulting from people trespassing on the railway and from suicides. There were 17 fatalities involving people trespassing on the railway. This is the highest number since 2019/20.
Reported trespass has in general been higher since the Covid-19, so more people are putting themselves at risk of being struck by trains. But there is also a performance impact of trespass when operators stop trains to reduce the risk to members of the public on the track.
Over the last five years, there has been a large increase in delay minutes attributed to trespass (see Figure 6). In 2024/25, trespass caused 1.2 million minutes of delay, a 31% increase on last year and a 50% increase compared to 2018/19. The direct cost associated with delays was estimated to total over £73 million in 2024/25.
There are also safety risks associated with delays. Research shows that delays lead to short-term safety implications such as a higher likelihood of SPADs,slips, trips, and falls, platform-train interface incidents, and staff assaults. But there are also long-term safety impacts such as modal shift away from rail to potentially less safe methods of transport.
It is difficult to identify the causes of the increase in public behaviour events like trespass, but a collaborative approach is required. The Trespass and Suicide Strategy Group has supported the development of a One-Stop Shop, a new online portal designed to bring together the industry’s collective resources for tackling trespass and suicide.
There were 293 suicides on the railway, an increase of 7% compared to last year. This is a historic high. Estimated national figures show there has been a rise in suicide by all means, therefore rail’s percentage of overall suicides has remained relatively consistent at around 4%. There is a balance to be struck between educating about the dangers of the railway to deter trespass while not highlighting the railway to those who are vulnerable.
Source: National Disruption Fusion Unit, Train Running Under System Total Operations Processing System
