Research and analysis

Understanding suicides on the rail network

Helps DfT better understand the determinants of suicide on the rail network, including prevention strategies.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 10 September 2025

Documents

Understanding, preventing and mitigating suicides on the rail network: rapid evidence assessment

PDF, 718 KB, 108 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Warning: this report contains sensitive content related to suicide.

This research explores the:

• determinants of rail suicide
• effectiveness of prevention measures for rail suicides and accidental railway fatalities
• impacts on rail staff and passengers
• mitigation strategies to reduce impacts

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) carried out this research on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Published 10 September 2025