Rail suicide is deliberate self-harm resulting in death by means of a moving railway vehicle. The 2023 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for attempted rail suicide is X81.1. The suicide occurs when an approaching train hits a suicidal pedestrian jumping, lying, or wandering on the tracks. Low friction on the tracks makes it impossible for the train to stop quickly enough. This type of suicide may cause trauma to the train driver.
Types, behavior and delimitation
Touching an electrified rail is sometimes mentioned as a rail suicide additionally to the three patterns: jumping in front of a train, lying on the tracks, and wandering onto the tracks. Lying on the tracks includes suicide by train decapitation as well as hara kiri by train. In suicide by train decapitation, victims lie on the tracks in front of approaching trains, with the neck placed on a rail and run over by a train wheel; in hara kiri, the train wheel runs over the abdomen. In addition to individual suicides, joint suicides on railways have also been reported. A railway suicide can also be committed by a vehicle driver like for example the Ufton Nervet rail crash, which can result in additional casualties among vehicle and train passengers.
Railway-related suicides are rarely impulsive, and this view has led to research on behaviour analysis using CCTV at known hotspots. Some behaviour patterns are implicated such as station-hopping, platform switching, standing away from others, letting a number of trains go by, and standing close to where trains enter. Surveillance cameras are viewable by railway staff.
Difference to trespasser fatality
A collision with a suicidal pedestrian is different from a collision with an unauthorised person, a trespasser, who has illegally entered the tracks, and can be distinguished, according to the European Union Agency for Railways, by the presence of suicidal intent. Suicide note, clear statements to an informant, demonstrated behaviour, previous suicide attempts, prolonged depression and psychological instability are mentioned as criteria for categorizing a suicidal intent.
Consequences
In view of the high rate of failed rail suicides (one-tenth to one-third), rail suicide is considered unsafe. The survivors often continue to live with severed limbs. As of 2014, the delay of the train caused by a rail suicide can extend from 30 minutes in Japan to 2 hours in most European countries.
Even if the suicide situation is recognized at an early stage, the train driver is hardly in a position to prevent the rail suicide due to the long braking distance and the lack of evasive action. Even if the train driver closes their eyes, they can still feel the impact of the collision. This results in a heavy psychological burden for the driver, which can lead to years of impairment.
Additionally to the train driver, a rail suicide can traumatize a bigger number of bystanders who witness the body. In case of driverless trains, a witnessing passenger presses the emergency button to stop the train.
In some cases, a collision with a pedestrian is not noticed by train driver and the train continues to travel to the next station with human remains still visible at its front. In such cases, the driver might be held accountable for violation of instruction and face consequences.
Consequences in Germany
In Germany, rail suicide is a criminal offence. In 2013, according to Deutsche Bahn, 30 train drivers lost their suitability for the job as a result of traumatic events. The train drivers unsuitable for job due to witnessing a rail suicide are paid full salaries.
Consequences in Japan
Suicide by train is seen as a social problem, especially in the larger cities such as Tokyo or Nagoya, because it disrupts train schedules, damages equipment, harms the drivers, and, if one occurs during the morning rush-hour, causes numerous commuters to arrive late for work. Family members or next-of-kin of the person who died by suicide are charged with the cost of rail disruption by most rail companies. It has been argued this prevents possible suicide, as the person who is considering suicide would want to spare the family not only the trauma of a lost family member but also being sued in court.
Epidemiology
Europe
Data gathered to 2014 showed that there were about 3,000 suicides and 800 trespass-related injuries on the European railways each year.