Rail fatality trends

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Not again...

06/04/2022 16:53

Lines have reopened between London Paddington and Reading following a person being hit by a train. Trains may still be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes.

Berkshire can't be that bad, can it?

There does seem to have been an increase in such tragedies, most of which are suicides, though a minority are accidents.
Only the coroner can state which.

Has there been an ACTUAL increase in such events, or do we simply hear more about them ?

[grahame]

There does seem to have been an increase in such tragedies, most of which are suicides, though a minority are accidents.
Only the coroner can state which.

Has there been an ACTUAL increase in such events, or do we simply hear more about them ?

From (here) - Suicide in black, all other causes in blue. Data is for Great Britain.

[broadgage]

Thanks for the actual figures.
Suicides fluctuate from year to year, but without any significant upward or downward trend.
Others are on a moderate downward trend.

[IndustryInsider]

I would expect the cost of living crisis we're entering to have an affect in the wrong direction sadly, but as Graham's link demonstrates overall it is a fairly static figure over the years.  There is no doubt in my mind that much better station staff training and vigilance has helped in recent years.

Would it best to split this conversation off from the main thread as it has nothing to do with infrastructure issues?

[grahame]

I would expect the cost of living crisis we're not entering to have an affect in the wrong direction sadly, but as Graham's link demonstrates overall it is a fairly static figure over the years.  There is no doubt in my mind that much better station staff training and vigilance has helped in recent years.

Would it best to split this conversation off from the main thread as it has nothing to do with infrastructure issues?

Sensible idea - split off from http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14689.msg320757#msg320757 - giving the opportunity to cover this important matter in its own topic.

[Electric train]

The rail industry has done a lot or work over the recent years working with Samaritans station staff have received training on identifying potential people at risk on stations, and how to approach them.

Samaritans have also act as advisors on measures to put in high risk locations, station platforms, level crossings, road over bridges etc.  Things like fast line separation fences, end of platform fences and dragons teeth, signage and even platform markings have been put in place all over the network.   All of these measures will not stop everyone who is intent on ending their lives.

It would be interesting to compare National Rail suicides to others causes 

[broadgage]

I would expect that the number of accidental fatalities is partly related to service frequency. If someone takes a short cut across or along a railway line, then they are more likely to be struck by a frequent service than an infrequent service.

Such fatalities may therefore have been reduced by service cutbacks due to the covid, and may unfortunately tend to increase as services return to normal.

Suicides by contrast are unlikely to be affected by service frequency. If someone is determined to jump in front of a train, then they will still so regardless of a five minute or a fifteen minute wait.

One possible anti suicide measure occurs to me. Are the road approaches to level crossings monitored by CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) ? This might be worth considering in order to detect persons or vehicles loitering without good reason and perhaps waiting for a fast train.

[jamestheredengine]

Interesting figures, thanks, Graham. I suppose we've just been incredibly unlucky this week. My wife and I got stuck at Paddington for 2½ hours on Monday night (and ended up 3 hours late back to Neath, thanks to some genius in Cardiff deciding that despatching the 2315 Cardiff to Carmarthen stopper right in front of us was a sensible idea – it would only have cost TfW a fair chunk in taxis for anyone trying to connect onto their train – really incredibly stupid even for TfW) and then yesterday my wife got held up by just over an hour. Nice Delay Repay money for us, but that isn't really the point.

Electric train mentions fast line separation fences. Is there some standard that these would need to be to for the emergency services to treat the Main and Relief Lines as two separate railways, and not insist on closing one when something happens on the other? That looks like a potentially sensible investment to keep the Delay Repay expenditure down!

[Electric train]

Electric train mentions fast line separation fences. Is there some standard that these would need to be to for the emergency services to treat the Main and Relief Lines as two separate railways, and not insist on closing one when something happens on the other? That looks like a potentially sensible investment to keep the Delay Repay expenditure down!

These are only installed on stations, open line there are normally no (permanent) fences to separate running lines

[eightonedee]

Quote from: TaplowGreen on Today at 06:49:13 am
I don't think it's a Berkshire thing

No and yes.  There are certainly places where people are hit by trains far more than in other places - communities in which seeking help and sorting things out is not seen as the first option, or even as an option.  And some of those are places between London and Reading.

There's surely a much simpler explanation - this part of the GW^▸ (Great Western) network runs through (or near) far more residents than the rest.

[bobm]

In the last hour there has been another fatality, this time at Mutley Tunnel just to the east of Plymouth station.

[broadgage]

ISTR^▸ (I seem to recall/remember) A proposal to install blue lighting at high risk locations as this was said to reduce the risk of suicide. Cant remember if it was reported on this forum or elsewhere ?

Does anyone know, was this tried ? and did it work ?

I think that the idea originated in a Scottish city in which a major street was lit in blue for decorative effect/novelty and a decline in suicides was then observed.

[Wizard]

I’ve noticed a blue light has been installed at the east end of the down main platform at Tilehurst. No idea if it’s related though.

[IndustryInsider]

I’ve noticed a blue light has been installed at the east end of the down main platform at Tilehurst. No idea if it’s related though.

Yes, I did wonder about that.  If it’s part of a trial it’s difficult to prove that it’s prevented suicides of course, as it might be several years before an attempt at any given location is made.

Blue lighting is sometimes installed in public toilets to deter drug use with needles.  That has at least been proven to work.

[broadgage]

I’ve noticed a blue light has been installed at the east end of the down main platform at Tilehurst. No idea if it’s related though.

I cant see how a single blue light could deter suicide.
The proposal was that the general illumination of the area should be blue, obviously only applicable during hours of darkness or at sub-surface stations.

Blue lights are little used in railway signaling, presumably because until recently producing blue light was much harder than other colours.

AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) a pair of blue lights are installed at the lowest point in the Severn tunnel, in order that drivers know when to increase power for the gradient ahead.
Blue lights are fitted to a very few signals and mean "proceed only in automatic mode" at a junction between conventional signalling and ATO^▸ (Automatic Train Operation) sections.