(The following article by Malinda Govoni was posted on the Worcester Telegram website on June 15. John Tolman is the BLET’s Chief of Staff.)
EAST BROOKFIELD, Mass. — Every year hundreds of people in the U.S. are injured or killed after intentionally stepping into the path of oncoming trains. The Federal Railroad Administration says it plans to study the problem.
Two people took their lives recently in East Brookfield, on April 25 and May 23, when they stepped in front of locomotives on the CSX rail line.
The FRA has reported about 500 deaths a year from 1993 to 2004 caused by trespassing, as opposed to mechanical malfunctions or vehicle-train collisions. Officials estimate that suicides account for 30 percent to 50 percent of the trespassing fatalities; a more exact figure is difficult to obtain because of the methods used to track fatalities.
“In fact, the leading cause of railroad death is trespassing,” said Warren Flatau, public affairs specialist for the FRA.
In the two local cases, Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte confirmed the deaths were ruled suicides.
“It’s extremely lethal (railroad suicide). But what it does — it involves other people,” said Karen M. Marshall, program development director for the American Association of Suicidology.
A locomotive engineer for 35 years, John P. Tolman of Westlake, Ohio, says that train crews can develop post-traumatic stress from collisions. Fatal accidents and those that involve children are more debilitating.
“Most people are totally traumatized by an accident like that,” said the Melrose native.
Once while operating a train, the 53-year-old Mr. Tolman struck a moped in Hartford. The boy suffered a broken leg. Mr. Tolman, who saw sneakers near the tracks and heard moaning, was traumatized.
“My heart went in my stomach. I just, like, stopped dead,” said Mr. Tolman, also chief of staff for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “It was just one of those horrible experiences. You can remember every detail.”
While one engineer’s account on the BLET Web site says suicide victims look into the eyes of the engineer, Mr. Tolman disagrees. He thinks victims see a machine, not an individual.
But, he said, train crews need immediate help from government officials.
“It’s time to come up with a program that will address the issue,” said Mr. Tolman, who espouses counseling as the most effective intervention.
According to the FRA, each U.S. railroad carrier deals differently with post-incident trauma and some have no specific procedures for intervention. By examining the practices of nine railroad carriers, the FRA, with the University of Denver, will begin to determine the best ways to help employees.
And, to effectively deal with suicide on the tracks, officials must determine the prevalence, the FRA says. The administration is planning a study that will take three to five years. It will include development of preventive trespassing measures. Transport Canada, the U.S. railroad industry and a suicide prevention organization will be closely involved.
“The railroad suicide component of it interests us from a number of perspectives,” Mr. Flatau said. “We are going to look at the engineer and conductor perspective as well.”
According to the FRA, suicide statistics are unavailable for various reasons. Some medical examiners do not report the cause of death as a suicide, and railroad carriers aren’t required to report fatalities as such. Also, railroad employees might not actually witness accidents.
East Brookfield Fire Department Assistant Chief Paul F. Normandin Jr. said officials have no idea why two local residents stepped onto the same area of CSX tracks, but he suspects that people pick the easiest spot.
“The access is easy, and all you have to do is walk by the gate,” Assistant Chief Normandin said about the area. He said a dozen suicides occurred in Worcester when he worked there from 1991 to 2006. He does not understand why people chose the tracks.
“There’s really no rhyme or reason, to tell you the truth,” he said.
As for trespassing by people not intending to commit suicide, Mr. Flatau said people simply don’t realize that railroad property is private. It is illegal to be on the tracks.
“Trains can’t stop on a dime,” he warns.
Trespass abatement is a priority for the FRA, while suicide intervention is in the hands of mental health professionals.
Railroad employees can go to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, www.ble.orgcq for membership and support.