Trespass on the UK railway is a major safety risk for the individuals involved, railway operators, and freight companies. There are hundreds of trespass incidents each year. They lead to costly disruptions, service delays, severe injury, and even loss of life. Freight depots are a particularly vulnerable area for these incidents. With high volumes of movement and low visibility, it’s harder to monitor unauthorised access. 

The challenge: rising trespass incidents at freight yards and sidings

Freight depots present unique risks related to trespassing. They have open layouts, sporadic operations, and frequent changes in staff and contractors. This all contributes to an environment vulnerable to security breaches. As a result of these complexities, there have been several high-profile trespass incidents at freight yards and sidings. Scotland’s Railway recognised the need for a collaborative, proactive, data-driven approach to the issue. By working together, they can most effectively assess the risks associated with potential trespass events.

Using the RSSB Trespass Risk Assessment Toolkit

Network Rail’s Regional Freight Manager, Cal Logan led the project to assess all the freight sites in Scotland using RSSB’s three-part toolkit to structure their approach:

  • research on evaluating trespass detection and prevention methods (T1168)
  • guidance on data collection requirements (T1182)
  • the good practice guide to assessing trespass risk (T1183). 

Using the toolkit, trespass risks were identified and recommended mitigation measures, from physical deterrents to operational changes. This then informed their decisions about investing in security and safety improvements. T1168, in particular, allowed the team to better understand both the risks in rail as well as in wider society. 

Site visits side by side

The first task was to identify yards, depots, and sidings with the highest trespass risk and highest consequence. This became a list of priority locations for the team’s focus. Joint site visits were then held at the highest risk sites. These brought together key stakeholders who gathered information to feed the risk assessment process. 
During the walk-throughs, the team used the Trespass Risk Assessment Toolkit. They considered factors such as depot access points, lighting, accessible structures, OLE, graffiti, boundary damage, and evidence of substance abuse. They also used local crime, socio-demographic data, and imagery from tools such as Geo-RINM and Network Rail’s Routeview.

Collaborative site visits were replicated at freight yards, depots, and sidings across Scotland. Improvement plans to mitigate risks were then developed. 

Successfully reducing risk

Many of the mitigations put in place have already shown success. Fencing has been upgraded and installed at access points and around vulnerable structures. Work is underway to look at installing natural boundaries such as Hawthorne. These can keep trespassers out but also provide natural habitats for wildlife. 

The team are now monitoring locations through regular joint visits. They are using technology and forward-facing CCTV to get the best intelligence to spot signs of trespassing on the network. Network Rail and industry partners are contributing funding to support this collaborative work. 

A call to action for the rail industry

Scotland’s Railway are the first region to adopt this risk assessment model. Their early success shows that by collaborating and utilising the available tools, trespass risks can be reduced. Depot, station, and rail duty holders can follow in their steps to reduce trespass and make the railway safer. The railway, as we know, is a complex system. The Trespass Risk Assessment Toolkit can support organisations of all sizes as they locate, reduce, and remove trespass risks.

We encourage duty holders experiencing trespass incidents or looking to secure their sites to reach out to us for more information about he Trespass Risk Assessment Toolkit. Together, we can build a safer, more efficient rail network.

Visit our website for tools and resources to manage trespass and suicide risk.