Since 2015, 1351 people have taken their lives by committing railroad trespass-related suicide, an average of 270 individuals per year. Railroad trespass-related suicides account for nearly a third of all fatalities related to railroad operations in the U.S. and has increased over 10% in the last 5 years. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has oversight of railroad safety in the United States and is committed to reducing this trend and saving lives.
FRA has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to make funds available for implementing suicide prevention projects. The purpose of the Railroad Trespassing Suicide Prevention Program is to implement an outreach campaign to reduce the number of rail–related suicides that involve or result from railroad trespassing. The Railroad Trespassing Suicide Prevention Program NOFO was published in the Federal Register, giving applicants 60 days to apply. Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. ET on August 10. FRA’s Competitive Discretionary Grant Programs Webpage has been developed to provide additional information on this and other grant opportunities.
In December 2018, FRA developed the National Strategy for Trespass Prevention on Railroad Property (National Strategy). This strategy aims to reduce railroad trespassing and sets goals for implementation, which focus on four strategic areas:
Data gathering and analysis;
Community site visits;
Funding; and
Partnerships with affected stakeholders.