Rail sector launches campaign against suicide
NS, ProRail, regional operators and 113 want to make seeking help easier to discuss.
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The Dutch rail sector launched the ‘Lives brought to a standstill’ campaign on Monday. NS, ProRail, Arriva, Keolis, Qbuzz and 113 Zelfmoordpreventie are highlighting the consequences of suicide on and around the railway and the importance of talking about getting help.
The campaign consists of a film, online videos and social media posts. The message is also being shared on trains. The organisers are targeting, among others, people under 30 and those around them who notice signs of serious mental health problems.
The campaign is not aimed solely at bereaved relatives. According to the organisations, drivers, conductors, passengers, emergency workers and other railway staff are also affected by an incident. The sector therefore says it wants to show that the consequences extend beyond the immediate circle of the person who dies.
The rail companies have been working with 113 Zelfmoordpreventie for some time. ProRail uses physical barriers, camera surveillance and staff training, among other measures, to identify people with suicidal thoughts earlier and direct them towards help. The new campaign is primarily a public-facing addition to that approach.
The organisers cite nearly 200 suicides a year on the railway. They estimate that each case affects an average of 135 other people. Those figures come from the campaign’s communications; there has not yet been a new independent evaluation of the campaign itself.
Whether the campaign actually reduces the number of suicides cannot be established on Monday. According to the organisations, its immediate aim is to reduce the taboo, start conversations and encourage people to seek help earlier. The campaign website provides information for people who are struggling themselves and for bystanders.
Are you thinking about suicide? Talk to 113 Zelfmoordpreventie via 113.nl or call 0800-0113 (free of charge).
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The launch, participants and format have been confirmed by multiple public sources. Figures on the social impact are clearly attributed to the organisers and are not presented as an independent impact assessment.
- confirmed The ‘Lives brought to a standstill’ campaign was launched on 12 October 2026. — MarketingTribune and Fonk report the launch on 12 October 2026. source
- confirmed NS, ProRail, Arriva, Keolis, Qbuzz and 113 Zelfmoordpreventie are participating. — The participating organisations are named in the campaign descriptions. source
- confirmed The rail sector uses physical and organisational prevention measures alongside public communications. — ProRail mentions barriers, camera surveillance and cooperation with 113, among other measures. source
- uncertain The campaign has already demonstrably reduced the number of suicides. — There is no impact assessment of the new campaign; this is therefore not claimed. source
Editor's note
The launch and participating organisations have been confirmed. The figures cited come from the campaign’s communications; the effect of this new campaign cannot yet be measured.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „suïcidepreventie spoor”
- AD — „suïcidepreventie spoor”
- de Volkskrant — „suïcidepreventie spoor”