Rail suicide
Rail suicide is deliberate self-harm resulting in death by means of a moving railway vehicle. The 2023 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for attempted rail suicide is X81.1. Hereby, an approaching train hits a suicidal pedestrian jumping, lying, or wandering on the tracks. Low friction on the tracks makes it impossible for the train to stop quickly enough. This type of suicide may cause trauma to the train driver. A railway suicide can also be committed by a vehicle driver like for example the Ufton Nervet rail crash, which can result in additional casualties among vehicle and train passengers.

Difference to trespasser fatality
A collision with a suicidal pedestrian is different from a collision with an unauthorised person, a trespasser, who has illegally entered the tracks, and can be distinguished, according to the European Union Agency for Railways, by the presence of suicidal intent. Suicide note, clear statements to an informant, demonstrated behaviour, previous suicide attempts, prolonged depression and psychological instability are mentioned as criteria for categorizing a suicidal intent.

Consequences

In view of the high rate of failed rail suicides (one-tenth to one-third), rail suicide is considered unsafe. The survivors often continue to live with severed limbs. As of 2014, the delay of the train caused by a rail suicide can extend from 30 minutes in Japan to 2 hours in most European countries.

Even if the suicide situation is recognized at an early stage, the train driver is hardly in a position to prevent the rail suicide due to the long braking distance and the lack of evasive action. Even if the train driver closes his or her eyes, he or she feels the impact of the collision. This results in a heavy psychological burden for him or her, which can lead to years of impairment.

Additionally to the train driver, a rail suicide can traumatize a bigger number of bystanders who witness the body. In case of driverless trains, a witnessing passenger presses the emergency button to stop the train.

In some cases, a collision with a pedestrian is not noticed by train driver and the train continues to travel to the next station with stuck body parts at its front. In such cases, the driver might be held accountable for violation of instruction and face consequences.

Consequences in Germany
In Germany, rail suicide is a criminal offense. In 2013, according to Deutsche Bahn, 30 train drivers lost their suitability for the job as a result of traumatic events. The train drivers unsuitable for job due to witnessing a rail suicide are paid full salaries.

Consequences in Japan

Suicide by train is seen as a social problem, especially in the larger cities such as Tokyo or Nagoya, because it disrupts train schedules, damages equipment, harms the drivers, and, if one occurs during the morning rush-hour, causes numerous commuters to arrive late for work. Family members or next-of-kin of the person who died by suicide are charged with the cost of rail disruption by most rail companies. It has been argued this prevents possible suicide, as the person who is considering suicide would want to spare the family not only the trauma of a lost family member but also being sued in court.

Epidemiology of rail suicide

Additionally to individual suicides, joint suicides on railways are also reported.

Europe
Data gathered to 2014 showed that there were about 3,000 suicides and 800 trespass-related injuries on the European railways each year.

Germany
As according to STABAG () in the years 1991-2000, 8653 (91.0%) rail suicide cases were fatal from total of 9510 incidences occurred on the German railway net. A fatal suicide meant a death within 30 days. Fatal rail suicides were ca. 7% of all fatal suicides commited in Germany in this time period. The data of 4127 suicial acts from the time period 2002-2006 showed that 32.2% of subjects were jumping, 32.6% lying and 34.2% wandering. Wandering included standing and lying on the tracks included suicide by train decapitation. For a suicidal decapitation by train, victims lie on railway tracks in-front of coming trains, whereby the neck is placed on a rail track and is run over by a train wheel. Jumping in front of the train had the highest chance of survival, while lying on the tracks most often resulted in death. However, suicidal behavior is not always detectable post mortem.

Japan
In 1999, about 5% of total 33048 suicides in Japan were on train tracks. Shin-Koiwa Station in Tokyo has a very high frequency of suicides. There have been 13 incidents between 2011 and 2013 on this station.

United States
The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration reports that there are 300 to 500 suicides by train each year. The agency also reported that those suicides on railway rights-of-ways were by people who tended to live near railroad tracks, were less likely to have access to firearms, and were significantly compromised by both severe mental disorder and substance abuse.

Prevention

Railway-related suicides are rarely impulsive, and this view has led to research on behaviour analysis using CCTV at known hotspots. Some behaviour patterns are implicated such as station-hopping, platform switching, standing away from others, letting a number of trains go by, and standing close to where trains enter. Surveillance cameras are viewable by railway staff. Media reporting has been linked to increased rail suicide attempts.

Public access to rail tracks may be restricted by the erection of fences. Fencing on both sides of the rail lines are carried out. Other preventive measures are anti-trespass panels at level crossings and the ends of station platforms, landscaping to create tree and bush hedging as a natural fencing, and the installation of prohibitive signage. Fencing and landscaping have shown significant reductions in suicide attempts, and signage a lesser reduction. Sometimes vegetation along the tracks can obscure the view of the train driver and the removal of this is also advocated.

The installation of platform screen doors in many stations and countries has significantly decreased the numbers of suicides, notably in Hong Kong. In Japan the use of calming blue lights on station platforms is estimated to have resulted in an 84% reduction in suicide attempts. On the London Underground the presence of a platform drainage pit has been shown to halve the number of deaths from suicide attempts.

See also
 Train surfing

References

 
Occupational hazards