Improving safety on Finnish railways by prevention of trespassing: Dissertation

This study investigated trespassing accidents, trespassing and related countermeasures to provide information for prevention of trespassing accidents on Finnish railways. The study includes five complementary substudies, of which two included accident analyses and three collected information on railway trespassing by means of surveys, interviews and field observations. The main results showed, for example, that (1) trespassing is frequent in Finland and, contrary to the overall improvement of railway safety in Finland, the number of trespasser fatalities has not fallen over the past decade; (2) there are specific sites of frequent trespassing on Finnish railways; (3) both the victims in trespassing accidents and the observed trespassers were typically adults and males and the victims were frequently intoxicated; (4) the risk related to railway trespassing was associated with trespassing behaviour, and (5) at selected sites fencing and landscaping can stop trespassing almost entirely, but the effects of a prohibitive sign are much more limited. Overall, a systems approach is recommended for prevention work along with a shared responsibility between stakeholders such as government, railway organisations, various authorities and communities, because the problem is broad and multifaceted and the elements of the rail safety system are interrelated. The recommended countermeasures for preventing railway trespassing vary from under- and overpasses, physical barriers and prohibitive signs to enforcement and education. Selection of the most effective or suitable countermeasure depends on the effectiveness of different measures, location and the characteristics of trespassing.