In spring 2022, FRA launched the Trespass & Suicide Prevention (TSP) Toolkit, an interactive resource to identify effective railroad trespass prevention strategies and suicide prevention measures. The TSP Toolkit is useful for individuals who work in railroad safety and for researchers, community members, suicide prevention groups, or other individuals or organizations with an interest in preventing trespassing and suicide. 

Trespassing is a complex issue that occurs for many reasons, including suicide. Selecting helpful strategies and measures can be challenging. To help with this, the TSP Toolkit provides summaries of potential strategies and measures. These summaries highlight the effectiveness of the tools as indicated through research and experience.

User-Friendly Interface

The TSP Toolkit allows you to easily find strategies and measures most relevant to your situation. You can enter search terms to narrow the search or filter by various factors including the incident type based on the intent of the individual (trespass, suicide, or both), the location of the incidents (station, right-of-way, or both), the type of strategies (education, enforcement, engineering, data-driven), or any combination of these categories. You also can look for specific types of measures, including:

• Risk Assessment – Measures that focus on data-driven activities to identify areas most in need of mitigation efforts.
• Policy and Enforcement – Measures that create or carry out safety policies on railroad property.
• Collaboration, Training, and Education – Measures that focus on stakeholder coordination, employee training, and education.
• Public Communication – Measures to inform the public. 
• Physical Barriers – Measures that act as physical deterrents within a specified location.
• Detection and Lighting – Measures that use sensors and/or lighting to increase the detection of individuals and influence their behavior on railroad property.
• Infrastructure Modification – Measures that create physical changes to stations, rights-of-way, or locomotives.
• Post-Incident Management – Measures to improve post-incident procedures and mitigate the effects of incidents after they occur.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or looking for emotional support, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; you can call, text, or chat to 988. In addition, the previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) remains available. Help is available 24/7.