Characteristics of Train Stations Where Railway Suicides Have Occurred and Locations Within the Stations.

To devise effective railway suicide countermeasures, it is necessary to identify stations where suicide is likely to occur. We explored the characteristics of stations where railway suicides have occurred and locations within the stations. (Study 1) Using suicide data from between April 2014 and September 2019 provided by a major railway company in Japan, station-specific suicide was modeled as an outcome variable in a multivariate Poisson regression model. (Study 2) With railway company staff, we visited stations where suicide frequently occurs and conducted fieldwork. (Study 1) Our estimation using a Poisson regression model revealed that railway suicides were more frequent when stations were serviced by passing trains, had a large number of passengers, and were located near psychiatric hospitals. (Study 2) Of 50 suicides, 48.0% occurred in front of benches or waiting rooms, 26.0% occurred at the front end of the platform, 24.0% occurred at the entrance to the platform, and 22.0% occurred at a blind spot for the train driver. All data were provided by one railway company in Japan, limiting the generalizability of the results. Stations where suicide occurs frequently have distinct characteristics. Focusing on suicide hotspots may aid suicide prevention.