Railway Suicide in the World

Last update: Aug. 2018

Railway suicides vary from country to country. Therefore, one has to be very careful when drawing conclusions from analyses and preventive measures that have been developed elsewhere. It is also important to note that data in different countries do not necessarily use the same criteria for classifying suicidal deaths. In order to properly compare countries in terms of their suicide mortality, it would be necessary to develop standardised indicators and data collection tools. However, some elements can be identified for comparison in various studies across the world. The following table summarises the main findings.

Country

Number of railway suicides and suicide attempts
Railway as proportion
of all
suicides
Location of suicides in the railway network Peak times
of year of incidents
Characteristics of suicidal people Behaviours on and near the tracks 

 ASIA

India

Badiadka, Dsouza, & Vasu, 2016
                        Kerala
78 railway fatalities, 33 of which were suicides
                                                                                  
Chowdurry,Dutta & Chowdurry, 2000

        15% psychiatric diagnosis  
Seemeen & Devaraju, 2018

Hyderabad and Secunderabad

16% of railway fatalities are suicides (Nov. 2014-Oct. 2016)
         

Japan   

Araki & Murata, 1986; Kerkhof 2003; Kadotani et al., 2014
Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Osaka prefectures
971 suicides (2002-2006)
6.3% When there is less sunlight in the prior 7 days, there are more attempts  
Ichikawa, Inada, & Kumeji, 2013 5,841 suicide attempts (April 2002-March 2012)     Most suicide attempts occur in daytime    
Ueda, Sawada, & Matsubayashi, 2015

1 railway company in Tokyo Met. Area

2004-2013: 144 railway suicides
  Stations without platform screen doors (95%)      

EUROPE

Twelve (12) countries

Havârneanu, Bonneau, Colliard, 2016
     

Even distribution throughout the year

Weekdays

Males, aged between 20-59.

Committed by persons alone.
 

Austria

Ememrson & Cantor, 1993; Deisenhammer et al., 1997
5.7% 48% close to the Regional psychiatric hospital (Brisbane)
Koburger et al., 2015

2008-2009 : Mean=98.5 railway suicides

2010-11 : Mean=85

2008-09: 7.76%

2010-11: 6.675%
       

Belgium

Andriessen, Krysinska, 2011
91 suicides per year (1998-2009)

80 suicides attempts per year (2003-2009)
5.3% Suicides occur in densely populated areas

Hotspots Near mental health facilities (>6 suicides per 2 km of track) 
March and June

54% fatality rate

Debbaut, Krysinska, & Andriessen, 2014 2003-2009: 664 suicides and 557 suicide attempts on Belgian railway network   43 railway hotspots identified. Common characteristic of hotspots are: accessibility, anonymity, and vicinity of mental health institution      
Strale, Krysinska, Van Omermeiren, & Andriessen, 2017 2008-2013: 563 railway suicides in Belgium (Brussels=58, Wallonia=167, Flanders=338)  

Most frequent in city suburbs, least frequent in central cities and rural areas.

Overrepresentation of north-western part of Belgium

More suicides in wealthy areas, with more elderly people (higher railway density); less in areas with younger population, more unemployment, and higher population density (lower railway density).
     

Denmark

Lindekilde, 1986
3.1% 81% are psychiatric patients (versus 38% for other means)

Germany

Baumert et al., 2006; Erazo et al., 2005; Dinkel et al., 2011; Lukaschek, et al., 2011

 955 suicides per year  (1997-2002)
7% and increasing 30% in stations

A majority on open track (specially in urban areas)
April and September for men

No seasonal variations for women
Risk factors for train suicides

Railway density

Passenger traffic density
Jumping, lying on track, wandering on tracks

Behaviour prior to the attempt
  • 50% Dropping and leaving personal objects
  • 50% Avoidance of eye contact
  • 30% Erratic gesture
  • 25% Erratic communication patterns
  • 25% General confusion
  • 20% alcohol use
  • 14% aimless wandering
Lukaschek et al., 2008; Van Houwellingen et al., 2013; Lukaschek et al., 2014  6105 suicides, 8 years  (2000-2007) 

Hotspots

Near psychiatric hospitals (6 to 29 suicides per km of track)
Daily pattern remains stable over time (Monday and Tuesday, between 6:00 and 12:00 and between 18:00 and 24:00)
Krauss, Graw, & Gleich, 2015 107 railway suicides (2009-2011) 10%, fourth most frequent suicide method in the study    

Most often males

Mean age (both sexes): 48.3
Railway suicide is often the result of a spontaneous decision
Koburger et al., 2015

2008-2009 : Mean=794 railway suicides

2010-11 : Mean=875

2008-09: 8.32%

2010-11: 8.68%
       
Lukaschek, 2014 Ca. 3 deaths per day          

Hungary

Veress, 1980

2.7%
Koburger et al., 2015

2008-2009 : Mean = 119.5 railway suicides

2010-11 : Mean = 133

2008-09: 4.845%

2010-11: 5.425%
       

Italy

Kerkoff, 2003

52% depression

8.4% schizophrenia

Netherlands

 

Kerkhof, 2003; van Houwelingen et al., 2001

180 suicides per year
10-14%

Hotspots

Near psychiatric hospitals

Early evening for men

Morning for women

74% between 20-59 years old (younger than general suicide)

More bipolar and psychotic disorders than with other means

Risk factors for train suicides
  • Railway density
  • Passenger traffic density
van Houwellingen et al., 2013 1475 suicides, 8 years (2000-2007) 
Koburger et al., 2015

2008-2009 : Mean=180.5 railway suicides

2010-11 : Mean=208.5

2008-09: 12.175%

2010-11: 12.835%
       

Portugal

Sousa et al., 2015

Northern Portugal

59 railway suicides (2008-2012)
3.8% (2008-2012)  

Weekdays

Afternoon but not rush hour

No seasonality observed

Males (1.3 male for each female)

Age: 40-49 for males, 50-59 for females

Under the influence of substance, most often alcohol

 

Slovenia

Koburger et al., 2015

2008-2009 : Mean=15.5 railway suicides

2010-11 : Mean=19.5

2008-09: 3.69%

2010-11: 4.545%
       

Sweden

 

Ceccato & Uittenbogaard, 2016

Stockholm county (2006-2013)

2516 suicides
 

53% of suicides north of Central Station. Five clusters identified.

Inner city stations identified as hotspots

Speed trains

Less suicides where barriers along tracks are installed

Half of all suicides occur on open tracks (more than 1-KM away from station)

No seasonality was observed for suicides.

Weekdays (esp. Mondays).

Small pikes were observed around the rush hours (9 am and 5 pm), the off-peak hours of 3 pm and 7 pm and midnight (12 pm).
Most victims are men age 45-64.   

Radbo et al., 2005

 

 48 suicides per year (2000-2002)

6.2%

Suicides occur in densely populated areas Most suicides in the daytime
Male/Female ratio 2.6:1 (similar to other means )

Mean age 43 (younger than other means)
75% of suicide victims were waiting or loitering close to on the tracks before the train arrived
Radbo et al., 2012 Greater Stockholm(2005-2008)
47 collisions, average:1 per month

41 fatal

30 suicides
  93% in stations (including 53% on platforms)

Deviates from national patterns (more often on open tracks)

Commuter trains

Weekdays

Daytime (afternoon)

66% male

Mean age 40

Standing, walking on tracks (37%)

Lying, sitting on tracks (30%)

Jumping running (30%)

Switzerland

Steck et al., 2017
1991-2013: 156 railway suicides in teenagers (10-18 year-olds)

26.4% (for teenagers)

Railway suicide has increased in past years
    Most railway suicide victims are boys; but in girls, railway suicide is the most common method (30.8% of all suicides).  

Turkey

Ozdogan et al., 2006

65 per year (1997-2003)

Level crossings Majority between 20-60 years old

United Kingdom 

Abott et al., 2003; Clarke, 1994; Farmer et al., 1994; Kerkhof, 2003; Hudson, 1999; Farmer et al., 1991; Symonds, 1985
163 per year (1995-1999) 5% Clustering near psychiatric hospitals The majority are seen waiting for the train 
Bhui, 2014 Every year, 350 fatalities on the railway in the UK, 84% of which are believed to be suicides.       41% of suicide victims have a mental health history  
Ryan, 2017

Great Britain

Over 250 suicides on the railway each year

257 fatalities in the study
 

70% occurred at stations

70% occurred on fast lines

Daylight

Lowest on Sundays

Numbers are highest in July and September, lowest in June and August

Higher proportion of males

Mean age (both sexes) = 40.6

Most common behavior: jumping or stepping in front of train from platform (n=86)
Taylor, Knipe, & Thomas, 2016

England and Wales (2000-2013)

2,517 railway suicides (1,985 in males, 532 in females)

4.1% (England and Wales, 2000-2013)

Proportion increased from 3.5% in 2000 to 4.9% in 2013 (men: 3.7 to 5.3%)
    Males, 35-64 years old  

 OCEANIA

Australia

De Leo et al., 2008

         57% treated for schizophrenia (Brisbane)

40.4% with psychiatric diagnosis (in Queensland)

29.8% had alcohol in their blood
 

Too, Bugeja, Milner, McClure, & Spittal, 2017; Too et al., 2016; Too et al., 2015.

Victoria

2009-2012: 105 railway suicides

2001-2012: 343 

7% for the state of Victoria (2009-2012)    

2009-2012: 66% male, 34% female.

2001-2012: 71% male, 29% female. Males 14-34 had highest risk.

Diagnosis of mental illness

Living in area with railway tracks, within a city, with high suicide rate

 

 NORTH AMERICA

Canada 

Mishara et Bardon, 2013; Transport Canada, 1996
43 per year (1999-2007) 1.5% 63% within 1km of home

66% on open tracks

85% in densely populated areas

Important variations by province

July and August

Late afternoon to early night

Males 4:1

Mean age : 39.5 (mostly adults)

43% unemployed, retired, on a pension

46% had a spouse

57% Depression, bipolar

22% were under psychiatric care
Running from embankment, lie on track, stand/sit on track

Very rarely in stations (6%)

 USA

McLone, Loharikar, Sheehan, & Mason, 2016

Illinois, 2005-2010 

 3.9%

Savage, 2016

United States:

274 confirmed railway suicides (annual average for 2012, 2013, 2014)

Metropolitan Chicago:

161 apparent railway suicides (2004-2012)
4% (Chicago)

Commuter passenger trains (67%)

Municipalities with higher income and lower population density (esp. suburbs)

March-May

Friday

Between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Significantly higher proportion of 15-24 year-olds

More males, but females represent 27% or railway suicides
 

 

Badiadka, Dsouza, & Vasu, 2016