Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of suicides on the rail network.

The Department, working in partnership with the train operating companies (TOCs), Network Rail and the British Transport Police (BTP), is committed to reducing the number of deaths by suicide on the railway.

Each TOC is required to deliver a suicide prevention plan which includes the commitment to train frontline passenger staff on suicide prevention and deploying mitigation measures to prevent access to lethal means. TOCs are also required to obtain and maintain accreditation to the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme which sets out their actions in protecting vulnerable people travelling on their network.

The BTP carries out a site visit following every suspected suicide on the railway to militate against future loss of life at the same location, and has a dedicated Harm Reduction Team (Hart) who work one to one with vulnerable individuals, joining up local authorities, the NHS and others to ensure the person is cared for and prevented from taking their life on the rail network.

The Department is supportive of the Samaritans Small Talk Saves Lives campaign which is delivered in partnership with Network Rail, BTP and the wider rail industry, with both the Secretary of State and Rail Minister recently attending a campaign event.