Network Rail’s project with Samaritans to reduce the number of suicides on the UK’s railways recently won a Business Charity Award.
Samaritans and Network Rail began their five-year partnership in 2010Â with the aim of reducing the number of suicides on the railways by 20% by 2015.
The project is being delivered through training for rail staff in dealing with potential suicides and the aftermath of a suicide, partnering with mental health, social and other services in the local community, national communications campaigns, and ensuring responsible reporting of suicides in the media.
Overall rates of suicides have been declining steadily for the last 10 years, but the number of suicides on railways has remained relatively static at approximately 200 deaths per year.
Each year suicides can cost Network Rail around £15 million, solely in compensation payments to train operators, Samaritans said.
Network Rail has invested £1 million a year so far in the partnership. The money is being spent in a variety of ways, including training staff to deal with potential suicides and developing a call-out service that involves Samaritans volunteers visiting stations to offer support to vulnerable people and staff.
At the end of the first year of the partnership, Network Rail reported a 13% decline in suicides.
Marge Mayne, chief executive of VSO and one of the judges in this category, said:
“This project combines the core business of Network Rail and that of the charity, and provides a solution to both the company’s business problems and Samaritans’ mission.”
The Network Rail/Samaritans Partnership Special Lifesaver Award will be featuring at the RailStaff Awards this year and nominations are open now.
If you know of a colleague who has helped save someone’s life on the railway in the last year please nominate them for the special award by clicking here.
