Railway deaths at Leagrave, Bedford and St Albans spark new review

A SERIES of railway deaths occurring in the past fortnight has prompted a review to determine if ‘further preventative measures’ are needed, a train operator has said.

East Midlands Trains said it was ‘working hard’ with other operators to reduce the number of people dying on the rail network.

On Wednesday a 44-year-old woman from Toddington died after being struck by a train at Leagrave.

Her death follows other fatalities at St Albans on August 13, Bedford on August 12, and Leagrave again on August 7.

Syed Nayer, a shopkeeper who has run a kiosk at Leagrave since 1999, said he has been ‘shocked’ by the deaths this month.

He said: “I have never seen this before. We have never had this ratio before.

“I just do not know what is going on. It’s really, really sad.”

One eyewitness told Luton on Sunday the death at Leagrave on Wednesday had been a ‘traumatic event’ for those who witnessed it.

Figures released by the Rail Safety and Standards Board earlier this year show that in 2014/15 a record 332 people died on the railways, up from 300 in 2013/14.

Last year the National Suicide Prevention Group was created to deal with the problem.

Larry Heyman, from Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs the Bedford to London service, said staff received training on how to deal with rail deaths and this had helped in the past.

He said: “In the past we have been able to spot people who look distressed and staff have been able to talk to them and have a cup of tea or coffee.

In some cases that could have prevented another tragedy from happening.”

An East Midlands Trains spokeswoman said: “Alongside Network Rail, Samaritans, British Transport Police and other train operators, we work hard to reduce the number of fatalities which occur on the rail network.

“In partnership with Samaritans, our front line teams are given specific training to help identify people at risk and make interventions.

As an industry, we will be reviewing the circumstances of these incidents to determine whether any further preventative measures can be taken.”

Ian Stevens, the suicide prevention programme manager for Network Rail, said the industry wanted to do ‘everything it can to stop this from happening’.

He added “The Samaritans has helped us enormously to develop our work in this area, with its great expertise, empathy and tenacity.

“A continued collaborative approach across the industry and everyone working in mental health is needed to tackle this societal problem and to help us keep Britain moving by rail.”