Some 25,000 railway staff have now been trained to identify and help vulnerable people, inside and outside of the rail industry, thanks to Samaritans’ partnership with rail infrastructure provider Network Rail and the wider railways.
More than one in five in the rail industry, including Network Rail, British Transport Police and train company staff, besides contract security officers, having taken part in the charity’s ‘Managing Suicidal Contacts’ course. Since the partnership began in 2010, Samaritans has run around 1900 courses across Britain, to give rail employees the confidence and skills to look out for vulnerable people, teaching them how to start a conversation to get them to safety and onto further support.
In the past year, rail staff have helped more than 650 people to safety, potentially saving their life. An aim besides is to de-stigmatise suicide and promote help-seeking behaviour.
Louise McNally, suicide prevention and trespass lead at Network Rail said: “Suicide is not inevitable and thanks to the work of the rail industry and our partners like Samaritans we have made significant strides tackling these tragic events on and around the railways. This 25,000 milestone is a fantastic achievement and we look forward to seeing even more lives positively impacted as a result of the wide range of training options available to rail industry staff to identify and support vulnerable people.”
And Samaritans Head of Rail Programme Olivia Cayley said: “We know the pandemic has had a huge impact on the nation’s mental health and that will be felt for a long time – but suicide is preventable, and the public can help too. We hope it’s comforting to know that rail staff and British Transport Police are out there to help, but we want to urge people to keep their eyes peeled, trust their instincts, and start a conversation. You won’t make the situation worse and saying something is better than nothing at all – a simple question can be enough to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts and save a life.”
Find out more
Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign, in partnership with Network Rail and British Transport Police initially launched in 2017 after research showed passengers have a key role to play in suicide prevention. More about Small Talk Saves Lives at: www.samaritans.org/smalltalksaveslives.
You can ring Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123, which won’t show up on a phone bill, or email [email protected] or visit http://www.samaritans.org/.
Meanwhile, the UK Government recently announced a 12-week call for evidence to inform a new ten-year mental health plan and a refreshed national suicide prevention plan.
