Rail staff intervene to prevent suicides

A new suicide prevention partnership has been successful in talking people out of taking their own lives on Scotland’s railways.

North East Conservative MSP Bill Bowman said more can still be done to spread the importance among rail staff of spotting danger signs early.

One in six rail staff are now trained to prevent people taking their lives on the railway as part of a link-up with the Samaritans.

Mr Bowman believes wider education among rail employees will reduce the number of deaths further. He said: “BTP maintain a Uk-wide presence across the rail network and receive crisis training as a matter of course. But they can’t be everywhere, all the time. I think more can be done to spread the importance of spotting danger signs early.

“If anything the presence of a listening ear, someone to talk to, could mean the difference between life and death.”

British Transport Police intervened in 40% more attempts at stations and trackside in 2016 than the year before. The rise coincided with a reduction in deaths.

During 2016-17, BTP recorded a total of 1,593 interventions in suicide attempts on the British mainline rail network, compared with 1,137 the year before. By the end of 2016-17, more than 14,500 frontline railway personnel had been trained in how to intervene to prevent suicide attempts and around 1,575 personnel were trained in trauma support.

Mr Bowman was told Scotrail operate conversation cafés on trains approximately four times per year in partnership with the Railway Mission Chaplains. Small groups of people travel on trains outside peak travel times on routes which have had incidences of suicide in the past year, attempting to engage passengers in conversation about mental health issues.

Bill Bowman MSP says more can be done.