In March 2024, my dad took his own life at Eccles Railway Station. For 15 minutes, he was there before he placed himself in front of an oncoming train. It was at a smaller station - Eccles Railway Station, where the CCTV coverage is not constantly monitored as it is at larger stations. I truly believe that, in those 15 minutes, if someone had been watching the cameras, there would have been a concern for welfare and his life could have been saved.

Tragically, my father's case is not isolated. Every 40 seconds, a life is lost to suicide globally, many of them on train tracks. Studies show that suicides at railway stations can be prevented by up to 30% through the implementation of preventative measures such as CCTV surveillance (World Health Organization, 2020). Despite these statistics, many small, less frequented railway stations in the UK remain without constant CCTV monitoring.

We cannot bring back the lives lost, but we can prevent others from heading down the same path. Simple measures such as the implementation of constant CCTV surveillance at all railway stations could save countless lives. We call on the authorities to take action. It is time to step up security measures, prioritise mental health, and ensure that no individual is left unnoticed in an unusual way, on a railway platform again. Please, sign this petition to request the implementation of constant CCTV monitoring at all railway stations. Let's make sure every life counts.