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Shockingly terrible day for railway fatalities (21/04)

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bengley

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Today has been one of the worst I've ever known.

Brandon
Preston
Liverpool Street Underground
Dewsbury
Barming
Ardrossan Harbour

All fatal

And with attempted at East Ham and Coventry

That really is awful. Thoughts to all involved.
 
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TOCDriver

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Today has been one of the worst I've ever known.

Brandon
Preston
Liverpool Street Underground
Dewsbury
Barming
Ardrossan Harbour

All fatal

And with attempted at East Ham and Coventry

That really is awful. Thoughts to all involved.

I absolutely agree. I got caught up with the Garstang fatal, caused chaos for most of the day. But I always end up feeling pity and sorrow for the individual concerned, and for their family.
 

Antman

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Today has been one of the worst I've ever known.

Brandon
Preston
Liverpool Street Underground
Dewsbury
Barming
Ardrossan Harbour

All fatal

And with attempted at East Ham and Coventry

That really is awful. Thoughts to all involved.

This is shocking. I wish I had an answer but clearly this is a society issue.

I can only sympathise with those who have been affected.
 

Crossover

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I saw the train at Dewsbury, stuck on the bridges above Webster Hill (with everyone looking down at us on the road below). A bloke believed to be in his 30's, that one :(
 

GB

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I didn't think the Brandon one was fatal unless she later died in hospital?
 

elementalpat

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Very bad day for the railways indeed.

Sadly, there was another one in the early hours between Ipswich and Norwich with empty stock I think

Additionally, there was also a sad incident in which someone jumped off a viaduct somewhere in Huddersfield as well.
 
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al.currie93

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I don't ever remember it being this bad either. Thinking about and wishing the best to all involved.
 

alexl92

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A gentleman jumped from the Lockwood railway viaduct in Huddersfield as well - no trains involved but still very sad.
Hadn't heard about Dewsbury. How awful for all these people.
 

HLE

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Oh well another half a dozen drivers off. Poor sods. Horrible thing to have to deal with.

is it me or is it getting more and more common?
 
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Oh well another half a dozen drivers off. Poor sods. Horrible thing to have to deal with.

is it me or is it getting more and more common?

a realisation that has spread beyond London VIllage, that a one under is a fairly successful way of topping oneself ... better effect than pills / booze / jumping off things less than 4 or 5 stories
 

notadriver

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Are there many suicide attempts on the roads or do they just not make the headlines ?
 

Antman

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Are there many suicide attempts on the roads or do they just not make the headlines ?

There was a high profile incident not so long ago when Clark Carlisle seemingly attempted to take his own life on the road but the railway is obviously a more certain way of doing it.

Organisations like the Samaritans do a wonderful job but I guess it is a sad reflection on todays society.
 

scott118

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Oh well another half a dozen drivers off. Poor sods. Horrible thing to have to deal with.

is it me or is it getting more and more common?

Time off, through the summer with full pay, will help with the mental anxiety, that's if the guaranteed sunday's are also included, since the cica payments have since ceased.

Fatalities will always be a part of working on the railway. It's something some drivers/guards don't experience, however those that work within the industry are fully aware it could be a possibility. 'jumpers' are an unpleasant fact however hopefully, none were children, as these are the one's that drivers fear the most...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There was a high profile incident not so long ago when Clark Carlisle seemingly attempted to take his own life on the road

Let's not forget Brian Harvey's attempt...
 

cjohnson

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The man hit by a tube at Stockwell a few days ago also passed away in hospital yesterday. Sad day.
 

matt_world2004

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It appears to be happening a lot recently. There hasn't been one non working day since february where citymapper hasn't vibrated to warn of disruption on the underground because of suicides or passenger action. At first in February I thought it was the time of year. But now the weather is a bit warmer it usually reduces suicides. Is it the economy or something else that is causing it.
 

Crossover

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Extra staff presence at Dewsbury this morning on both platforms.

So in other words there were staff - very rarely seen anyone on the platforms there. Unfortunately I can't help but feel it may be a case of "shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted"
 

Starmill

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I can't help but feel that it seems completely pointless either way, given the station isn't staffed full time? Unless they've brought in some security bandits or something ;/
 

61653 HTAFC

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So in other words there were staff - very rarely seen anyone on the platforms there. Unfortunately I can't help but feel it may be a case of "shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted"

Funnily enough, they were in Northern uniform, rather than TPE who run the station. They were both stood at the up (Manchester) ends of the platforms but not right at the very end. Guess they were there to provide reassurance, all the talk while waiting at Batley was about what happened at DEW yesterday.
 
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Crossover

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Funnily enough, they were in Northern uniform, rather than TPE who run the station. They were both stood at the up (Manchester) ends of the platforms but not right at the very end. Guess they were there to provide reassurance, all the talk while waiting at Batley was about what happened at DEW yesterday.

Fair enough. Not sure where it happened yesterday but I know Dewsbury has had them by the waiting room on the Manchester bound platform (one survived having done it in front of a stopping TPE) but not sure on the other end. Leeds bound is on a slower loop so less likely to see any attempts I would think
 

DeeGee

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Not so many on the roads I don't think, cars and lorries can swerve to avoid you.

A train doesn't have that luxury.

There are places that have proved popular sites for suicide attempts, such as here where you can see a fence has been put in to make it that bit more difficult, or here, where they've put a call-point to the Samaritans.

It's a bit harder on the railways, because you don't want to be restricting access to paying customers to exactly the locations where people can come into contact with trains. Certainly at stations, although less so jumping off bridges.

These poor individuals don't see any other options, and if they're determined it's time, then often it's their own failure to plan properly which saves them.

It's terrible that drivers should have to go through that, though. But the jumpers are not really capable of the rational thought that would stop them - if they were, they wouldn't jump.
 
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