Chaplains’ post-incident support for rail staff
O
ngoing support for first responders and rail staff who witness or deal with tragedies on the railways is of paramount importance to staff and officers alike. It’s a sad fact that every year between three and four hundred people seek to take their lives on the railways of England, Scotland and Wales. Railway Mission is strongly involved with other agencies in suicide prevention and intervention, but we have also made ourselves key to the support of rail staff following incidents. Whilst we’ve had an excellent track record of supporting rail staff following incidents historically, two years ago we set out with the purpose of following up on every
incident recorded in a British Transport Police (BTP) proforma to ensure that all staff are reached with an offer of support following serious incidents. During the year from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, Railway Mission chaplains gave support to staff with a direct or indirect connection to every BTP recorded rail incident. This was a major achievement because there are so many rail staff involved during and following a person’s attempted self-harm on the railways. A typical incident could include the train driver, onboard crew, station staff, and first responders such as Network Rail Mobile Operation Managers and BTP officers,
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