There was an increase in suicide-related incidents at Maidenhead train station between 2022 and 2023, a Network Rail official has said.

Alan Gough, a representative of the firm that owns and manages railways, said there four suicide incidents at the station in that period, and 14 other suicide related incidents. He revealed the figures in an update on ongoing work to improve safety at the station.

Mr Gough said: “There has been a rise in suicide-related incidents at Maidenhead station. During 2022 and 2023 there was four suicide incidents at the station.

“During our construction work this summer there was a fatality, not on platform two or three but from platform four plus 14 other suicide-related interventions were recorded during 2022-23.”

He added: “Each incident causes significant disruption not only to the rail service, but both distress to staff and passengers, cost to the industry let alone the impact on passengers that could witness the incident.”

The new mid-platform barrier at Maidenhead station (Image: Network Rail)

Mr Gough was speaking to councillors at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead at the Maidenhead town forum on Tuesday, September 3. He did not say how the figures compared to previous years.

The update came after almost year of construction work at the station which has closed step-free access to some platforms.

Mr Gough said the work was needed to reduce overcrowding and improve safety at the station – including with the introduction of ‘suicide mitigation fencing’ between platforms two and three.

He said the new fencing would limit access to platform two, where trains travelling towards Paddington can travel at speeds over 100 miles per hour.

Crowding issues at Maidenhead station (Image: Network Rail)

Mr Gough said: “Maidenhead station was the last Elizabeth Line Service station that didn’t have mid-platform fencing installed. Mid-platform fencing is sometimes known as suicide mitigation fencing.”

He added: “On platform two, trains going to Paddington would be on the tracks travelling in excess of 100 miles an hour.

“Now the mid-platform fencing is in place it will limit access to platform two.” But he said accessed to the platform is not completely shut off.

The work has meant some lifts have had to close, so that passengers needing step-free access travelling to Maidenhead from London need to go to Reading then travel back.

Councillor Catherine del Campo said some residents had complained to her about this.

She said: “I have had some feedback about this from residents who didn’t feel that being asked to travel to Reading and then back to Maidenhead was a fair request.

“People were upset about that and I think I would be as well. If I’m travelling back from London the last thing I want to do is go to Reading and then travel back again.”

Mr Gough said Network Rail had made announcements about the plans, including with posters. And he said Great Western Railways had arranged for taxi travel.

But he admitted that a consultation on the proposals came late and ‘should have happened earlier’.