Professor Kamaldeep Bhui writes on the issue of railway suicides, and what can be done to   address the issue. There are 350 fatalities on the railways a year, according to the British Transport Police (BTP). Of these, 84% are believed to be suicides and 41% of the deceased had a mental health history. In a month, there are 1,700 incidents involving mental health issues and 2,700 incidents of suicidal behaviour each year.

Such is the concern that the Cultural Consultation Service (CCS) and Careif were commissioned by NHS England to do a review and produce a report, Railways Suicides in the UK: Risk factors and prevention strategies. Launched in October at a one-day conference hosted by CCS, there were presentations from the BTP, Samaritans, Network Rail, NHS England, and colleagues from the NGO and professional sectors.