Our Ref:         FOI-3148-1819

Thank you for your request received on 19 February 2019 asking for information about person under the train and suicide incidents.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked:

How many suicide attempts have there been in London in the stations from 2014 to 2018?

How many incidents have been reported of people falling under the rail tracks in from 2014 to 2018? I'm requesting on the number of persons under the train incidents, that there have been and I'm requesting on the number of people falling onto the track.

How many fatalities have there been, once people have fallen onto the rail tracks?

We record these incidents as ‘persons under train’, as it is only the Coroner who has the authority to determine whether it was a suicide or not. We also do not always know whether a suspected suicide was fatal or not. Please see below the number of all ‘Persons Under Trains’ (PUTS) that were deemed suicides AND suicide attempts (those that made it trackside but were not hit by a train and therefore were not stopped / prevented):

 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19
TOTAL:  36 40 54 72 53

Please note this is recorded by financial year rather than calendar year. The number given for the current financial year, 2018/19 is up to the end of January.

We conclude incidents as being suicides / attempted suicides by conducting a CCTV review immediately alongside the British Transport Police (BTP) who determine the incident to be either a non-suspicious / deliberate act (suicide) or a non-deliberate / suspicious act (accident or malicious by a third party (push)). The data we then have differentiates the suicides / attempted suicides, to those of an accidental / crime scene nature.

The Tube supports nearly five million customer journeys per day. In 2017/18 a total of 1.36 billion customer journeys were made and our transport network carried more customers than ever before. Our first priority is the safety of all our customers, staff and others travelling or working on our network.

We provide training to our staff on how to identify and give the appropriate support to any customers who appear to be in mental/emotional distress or who are acting in a way which would identify them as high risk of suicide. We have worked closely with the Samaritans on developing training material to give staff even more knowledge about the signs to look out for and the confidence to intervene. We also work with Network Rail and other train operating companies to share information and approaches to managing incidents of suicide on the railway.

The Samaritans provide support for people affected by suicide or who may be having suicidal thoughts. They advise “We're here round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it's best to call us on the phone. This number is FREE to call. You don't have to be suicidal to call us.”

We also work closely with the British Transport Police (BTP) and the emergency services to ensure a coordinated response to incidents. We have introduced a ‘blue light’ response for the Emergency Response Unit with a police driver supplied by the BTP. We also have the Network Incident Response Team which includes a BTP Police Medical Officer with a LU Network Incident Response Manager. Additionally, there has been a notable improvement in medical intervention in these cases which enables paramedic first aid to be given on site and enhance the survival rate.

We have also recently started training for station staff with a training provider to deliver key information to staff with the tools, confidence and knowledge on how to intervene and what to do. Things include spotting vulnerable signs and behaviours, tailored to our operational environment and equipping staff with response tactics to support the individual concerned.

If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]