Level Crossings as Access-point for Suicide on the Railways

Welkom
Reduction And Displacement Of
Suicides After The Removal Of Level
Crossings In The Netherlands
Bart Hoogcarspel, ProRail
GLXS 2016, Helsinki, June 15th
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Some unwanted events on the railways
Event
Year 2015
Copper theft
150
Coin
100
Graffiti
70
Suicide
200
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Outline presentation
• Why a prevention programme?
• New approach: Most Probable Access point
• Effect of the removal of level crossings
• Areas without level crossings
• NEW: preliminary results pilot Eindhoven-area
• Extra information (not presented)
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New approach:
Most Probable Access point
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Most Probable Access point
• Station + level crossing poses as station
• Station differs from level crossing
• Distance of influence for level crossing is approx. 500m
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MPA: level crossing 1980-2010
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MPA: level crossing
• Accounts for 50% (1980-2003) and risen to 60% (from
2008) of all suicides on railways in NL
• Rise due to more fences along the tracks (?)
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Effect removal of level
crossing:
Difference before - first 2
years after
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Conclusion 1
• Displacement!
• Memory-effect in the first two years connected to the
(removed) level crossing
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Effect removal of level
crossing:
Difference before-after
Aanpak suïcide op het spoor
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Conclusion 2
• First 150m: reduction
• 175-500m: increase
• When calculated over 5000m: no change
• Hopeless?
• No: maybe there are too many level crossings left
• So: optimize greater areas
• And: … (next slides)
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Green: no level
crossings
Blue: study area
for removal of
level crossings
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Red: no level crossings
Blue: study for removal of level crossings
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Conclusion 3
• Areas with level crossings:
• Average 12%
• Areas without level crossings (and in general good
fences):
• Average 7%
• No level crossings means 40% less suicides
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Pilot Eindhoven-area
• 37 line kilometers:
• Fences along tracks (1.80 m high)
• Removing hidingplaces
• Anti-trespass-panels at level crossings
• Installed in 2014
• Preliminary evaluation: 2011-2014 compared with 2015
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Preliminary results
Event
Copper theft
2011 – 2014
Mean per year
2015
6
1
33
15
Coin
Graffiti
Suicide
11
No reduction, but more (country
wide in 2015)
Only on level crossings
No increase
at stations
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Summary
• Removing a single level crossing means 40% reduction
on that location, but results in displacement when other
level crossings are nearby
• No level crossings in a big area results in 40% less
suicides
• A level crossing is an access point for unwanted events
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Thank you for your attention!
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Questions or information:
Programme Suicide Prevention ProRail:
Programme manager:
Angela van der Veer: angela.vanderveer@prorail.nl
Registration and effect analysis:
Bart Hoogcarspel: bart.hoogcarspel@prorail.nl
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Extra information
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ProRail programme Prevention of Suicide
on railways (2010-2015) (1)
Assigned by the ministery of Transportation: There is insight in railway suicide
for the purpose of developing and implementing effective measures to reduce
incidents.
Goals:
1.  Prevention of railway suicide
2.  Reduction of railway breakdown time
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ProRail programme Prevention of Suicide
on railways (2010-2015) (2)
Emphasis on 4 key projects:
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
Registration & effect analysis (analysis of effectiveness of
preventive measures & improving registration)
Measures & pilots (determining ‘hard’ & ‘soft’ measures)
(Scientific) Research & Development and Communication
Improving incident management & decreasing breakdown time
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ProRail + NS: new programme Prevention
of Suicide on railways (2016-2020) (3)
Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment asks for a seconds fase of
the programme, where:
1. key projects are continued
2. more effort is put in:
•  cooperation with mental health care and
• 
decreasing breakdown time
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Facts and figures suicides
•  On average 200 suicides a year
•  Major impact on railway personnel (at least 3 days l.t.i.)
•  On average 2.5 hours breakdown time (availability of the railway)
•  58% access at level crossings, 22% off platforms, 18% incidents along the
tracks, 2% other locations
•  60% of the suicidal people are/were treated at a mental health institution
(nearby).
•  Most victims commit suicide in a delusional phase
•  Sensational appeal in the media. Unwanted high risk of copy cat behaviour.
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Facts and figures railway suicide
•  An average of 190 suicides a year on the tracks in the Netherlands (12% of
the total number of suicides (1500). One almost every day. In 2012 there were
201 suicides.
•  75% of the attempts is fatal.
•  On average 145 minutes breakdown time (availability of the railway)
•  58% at level crossings, 22% off platforms, 18% incidents along the tracks
(vrije baan), 2% other locations,
•  60% of the suicidal people are/were treated by a mental health institution
(nearby).
•  Most victims commit suicide in a delusion. Creating a distraction to change
one’s mind during that time can help to find a different solution.
•  Custom made measures at a risk location can result in a reduction of the
number of incidents (case near Eindhoven in 2005,
30%
but can 28
GLXS
2016reduction)
- Bart Hoogcarspel
Welkom
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Welkom
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Welkom
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Welkom
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Welkom
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Welkom
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