Pandemic triggers tsunami of mental health issues

Network Rail and British Transport Police are urging parents to talk to their teenagers about rail safety and the devasting potential impact of trespass to them, their friends and family, and the wider community ahead of the Easter school holiday and the easing of lockdown restrictions.

The calls come as newly released data reveals there was a surge in reckless behaviour on the rail network when the nation emerged from the lockdown last summer, which continued right through to the end of year. Alarmingly the numbers increased most sharply in the under 18s age group, with a 40% increase in the number of incidents recorded between July and December 2020, compared with the same period in 2019 (and a 29% increase on 2018). November 2020 was the worst November on record for trespass incidents, and saw a staggering 75% increase in youth incidents on the previous year.

To help combat the expected seasonal climb in trespass, a new You vs Train film – Parallel Lines-  has been launched to get children to not only think about the devasting consequences that their actions can have on them and their loved ones, but the wider, sometimes hidden harm caused to the community, in particular rail staff. The new film will be streamed into schools on 18 March as part of a rail safety broadcast by Network Rail’s education partner – LearnLive. Further information, including how to sign up for the broadcast, can be found on the LearnLive website. 

Ros spoke to Allan Spence from National Rail and Jake Mills from Chasing the Stigma:

Information on the dangers of railway trespass and the new campaign film can be found on the You vs Train website.

Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash