Suicidal male on Stockport viaduct 19 Jul 18

[Deafdoggie]

Not really, do you?

Do you really think it's acceptable for one individual to cause so much disruption? Obviously I wasn't there so I'm not in a position to say what should have been done, seems he drunk himself into oblivion and eventually fell asleep.

I’d agree if he was just a trespasser or someone staging a protest. But if a medical condition I’d have to disagree.

Maybe it’s the way things are reported. But if it was “trains can’t run across Stockport viaduct due to someone needing medical help” it might help.

 

[Antman]

I’d agree if he was just a trespasser or someone staging a protest. But if a medical condition I’d have to disagree.

Maybe it’s the way things are reported. But if it was “trains can’t run across Stockport viaduct due to someone needing medical help” it might help.

It sounds like he may well have mental health problems but not necessarily suicidal?

 

[ValleyLines142]

Affected Bristol services also. I attempted to catch the 2015 from Temple Meads to Cardiff (1V65 1705 ex Manchester), which appeared to take a diversion as it didn't call at Macclesfield or Stoke, was only 8 minutes late from Birmingham but then lost another half an hour at Bromsgrove. Ended up being almost an hour late at Bristol.

Attempted to catch 1M83 (1825 Plymouth to Birmingham) from Temple Meads up to Parkway, but an announcement was made on board to say it would be delayed as the driver for the service back up to Birmingham was on 1V65. Ended up taking the 2041 to Worcester and changing at Parkway onto the delayed 2042 to Swansea. Only got into Cardiff about 25 minutes late in the end.

Amazing how far the disruption can go.

 

[Philip]

Well this guy disrupted thousands of people's journeys yesterday, having sympathy and concern for someone with depression and/or mental health problems is right, but lets not forget all those people who couldn't get to where they were going yesterday; who were stuck for hours, late for work, couldn't make appointments etc as a result - add to that the terrible day it was for the train companies and their staff and the emergency services involved. Going forward I suppose the way to look at preventing this from happening again should be to make it more difficult to access the tracks from the platforms.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Well this guy disrupted thousands of people's journeys yesterday, having sympathy and concern for someone with depression and/or mental health problems is right, but lets not forget all those people who couldn't get to where they were going yesterday; who were stuck for hours, late for work, couldn't make appointments etc as a result - add to that the terrible day it was for the train companies and their staff and the emergency services involved.

Sympathy for all involved of course. Massive farce yesterday with disruption going round the country like a witches fingers. Personally my point was simply that we as a country should be doing more to prevent this as a lot of it is preventable.

 

[AlterEgo]

Well this guy disrupted thousands of people's journeys yesterday, having sympathy and concern for someone with depression and/or mental health problems is right, but lets not forget all those people who couldn't get to where they were going yesterday; who were stuck for hours, late for work, couldn't make appointments etc as a result - add to that the terrible day it was for the train companies and their staff and the emergency services involved. Going forward I suppose the way to look at preventing this from happening again should be to make it more difficult to access the tracks from the platforms.

How? You just hop down onto the track, job done.

 

[Philip]

How? You just hop down onto the track, job done.

Security fencing with a locked gate operated by the platform staff?

 

[DarloRich]

I note that you criticise but don't give us a way that you would safely bring the situation to a close.
And I presume you have no experience of depression or mental illness.

Agreed. No experience.

In situations like this, when the trespassers are unco-operative, could police marksmen not use tranquilizer darts?

I think someone may have watched too many Hollywood action films! I am not sure such things exist for human use in the real world

 

[jamesst]

Security fencing with a locked gate operated by the platform staff?

Again how? You just walk onto a platform, go the edge, jump on to the track and job done! Unless you have platform edge doors (Jubilee line style) at every single platform there's nothing you can do to stop it

 

[pemma]

I heard about this early this morning and I'm amazed it's still going on.

I might be a bit cynical but I can't help wondering if it's an attention seeker wanting to cause as much disruption as possible, if they were intent on suicide wouldn't they just do it?

Someone claimed the trespasser took a packed lunch, which sounds a bit strange if someone is considering suicide.

 

[Ianno87]

Again how? You just walk onto a platform, go the edge, jump on to the track and job done! Unless you have platform edge doors (Jubilee line style) at every single platform there's nothing you can do to stop it

Even a fence on the end of a platform psychologically forms a deterrent/barrier (even if it is physically easy to walk around by jumping on the track).

 

[DarloRich]

Even a fence on the end of a platform psychologically forms a deterrent/barrier (even if it is physically easy to walk around by jumping on the track).

Correct.

 

[Deafdoggie]

There are fences on the end of Stockport platforms. They are locked.

 

[AlterEgo]

Security fencing with a locked gate operated by the platform staff?

At the platform edge? Do you know Stockport station? It has half a dozen platforms and trains are stopping there all the time. That wouldn't be very practical. And of course you can access the track when a train is in the platform anyway.

 

[DarloRich]

At the platform edge? Do you know Stockport station? It has half a dozen platforms and trains are stopping there all the time. That wouldn't be very practical. And of course you can access the track when a train is in the platform anyway.

Fencing at platforms ends is surely what was meant.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Fencing at platforms ends is surely what was meant.

Stockport already has these

 

[Philip]

Stockport already has these

Is it proper security fencing or just a small wooden fence that is easy to climb over?

 

[Antman]

Someone claimed the trespasser took a packed lunch, which sounds a bit strange if someone is considering suicide.

Indeed and was clearly well stocked up with alcohol.

 

[Darandio]

Someone claimed the trespasser took a packed lunch, which sounds a bit strange if someone is considering suicide.

One post also claims they were drinking petrol for 3 hours though. That doesn't seem to be someone who is particularly bothered about living.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Is it proper security fencing or just a small wooden fence that is easy to climb over?

It is easier just to jump off the platform face and nip down the line to the viaduct than go round/over the fence.

 

[pemma]

One post also claims they were drinking petrol for 3 hours though. That doesn't seem to be someone who is particularly bothered about living.

Was it petrol though? Unless someone was close enough to smell it I'm not sure how they can be sure it was.

 

[Darandio]

Was it petrol though? Unless someone was close enough to smell it I'm not sure how they can be sure it was.

I've no idea, it was just stated earlier in the thread.

 

[craigybagel]

Given they were at the Heaton Norris Junction end of the viaduct, it may well be they actually walked down the track from Heaton Chapel and not Stockport.

 

[Bucephalus]

Whether it was mental health related or an alcohol 'fuelled' misadventure it is very sad. There's a good chance the guy will be horrified when he's told where he'd ended up

 

[furnessvale]

The problem with this incident was the widespread impact on the network. Sheffield was screwed up when I went through at 10 am and 2 pm with the Hope Valley disrupted. Virgin's thinned service plus XC's Manchester-Banbury services being disrupted screwed up the Coventry corridor. I hope this was a truly unique incident and won't be repeated in a hurry.

Don't bank on it. He did exactly the same thing a month ago, so give it a month or so and he will be back.

 

[jon0844]

We had someone causing mischief near the Welwyn viaduct at the start of the year. Six hours plus to talk him down one time, and he did it at least two or three from what I can recall.

There's not a great deal you can do. Sometimes mental health intervention teams can section people, but that won't always keep people 'safe' for more than a month or so.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One post also claims they were drinking petrol for 3 hours though. That doesn't seem to be someone who is particularly bothered about living.

I have my doubts about that as I don't believe you could "drink petrol for 3 hours" and remain conscious or indeed alive.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even a fence on the end of a platform psychologically forms a deterrent/barrier (even if it is physically easy to walk around by jumping on the track).

Indeed. At most South East stations with fenced fast lines these are not locked, but they do provide an extra deterrent by marking out the fast line platforms as "somewhere you're not meant to be", which for most people is a significant psychological barrier, even when suicidal. They also allow CCTV operators (and on the south WCML actual security staff) to quickly identify people who are where they shouldn't be, rather than without them where someone might just appear to be pacing around the platform bored waiting for a train...until they jump.

 

[Bucephalus]

I think and agree that psychological deterrents a the way go. We know we can't physically keep a person off the tracks but the more ways of making it inconvenient the better.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Given they were at the Heaton Norris Junction end of the viaduct, it may well be they actually walked down the track from Heaton Chapel and not Stockport.

Indeed he did come from the Heaton Norris end, first reported by signaller.

Was it petrol though? Unless someone was close enough to smell it I'm not sure how they can be sure it was.

It was petrol but no info to say 3 hours. This info has not come from people passing on trains.