‘Sitting on the platform edge’, or SOPE, is intended to bring about consistency in reporting across the industry, as several terms are currently used to describe this dangerous activity. ‘People sitting in precarious positions’, ‘trespass’, ‘horseplay’, ‘dangling legs’, ‘PTI event’ are among them, found a survey commissioned by the People on Trains and in Stations Risk Group (PTSRG) which sought to understand what train operating companies (TOCs), Network Rail, Transport for London and others call such incidents.

Analysis of Safety Management Intelligence System data, to establish the terms TOCs are using to record these incidents, supported the findings of the survey, that there is very little, if any, consistency in the terminology used. Therefore, standardisation of language is much-needed, not least because it will enable industry to generate more reliable data on this behaviour, which, according to reports from the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), has increased since the pandemic.

The Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railway (LHSBR) quarterly progress report (September 2022) states that the number of people with their legs dangling over the platform edge remains at a much higher level than seen before the pandemic. Comparing the number of incidents in periods one to three across the last three fiscal years reveals that the southern region reported the largest number of incidents, and also the greatest absolute increase.

SOPE is already in use by Scotrail, which has established a mature reporting system. So, the SOPE Steering Group, which was previously known as the Dangling Legs Steering Group, concluded that this term is most fit for use. The Stations Working Group and its parent group, the PTSRG, plus governance group the System Safety Risk Group, agree and have endorsed the term. SOPE has also become its own reportable event, which is another significant development; it is thought that this activity had been underreported due to it not being its own reportable event. Direction is now being sought on how to embed the use of SOPE in industry.