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The public are being reminded to recognise the vital role that they can play in saving lives on the railway.

• Public urged to stay safe as accidental deaths on rail network rise by 26% compared to last year
• 27 near misses occurred at level crossings across the railway in the south east of England
• New hard-hitting safety films feature first responders sharing the devastating physical and emotional impacts of railway accidents
• South Eastern Railway and British Transport Police campaign targets unsafe behaviour around tracks and level crossings as the summer holidays approach

A scheme to improve the accessibility of Shortlands station in south east London has now been completed with the opening of three new lifts.

• Approximately 1,500 litres of white paint - the equivalent of 30,000 square metres - will be applied to sections of the rail network to help keep passengers moving in very hot weather.
• Last year across the South of England, buckled rails due to hot weather caused 64 days (92,015 minutes) of delays for passengers.
• Two locations in Network Rail’s Southern region ranked in the top three nationally for heat-related incidents that affected the greatest number of trains.

Passengers are set to benefit from step-free access at Hither Green station thanks to a £28m funding boost from the Department for Transport’s Access for All (AfA) programme.

• Mind the ‘generation gap’: only 54% of Gen Z know fly-tipping is a crime compared to 92% of boomers
• Since 2021, there have been 316 fly tipping incidents reported across Network Rail’s Kent route.
• Just 40% of people in London know that fly tipping can cause transport delays, and only 34 % of Gen Z.
• Network Rail releases new research to highlight the negative impact fly-tipping has on the railway and wildlife habitats

• Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign, in partnership with Network Rail and British Transport Police, launches as over half of UK adults (67%) would appreciate someone checking on them, by offering words of support, if they were struggling to cope
• London Bridge station hosts ‘The Power of Words Exhibition’– celebrating people who have saved lives by using small talk
• New campaign film reminds the public that when it comes to saving a life, you already have a life-saving kit available to you – your words

Work in the tunnel to improve drainage and repair brickwork will protect the railway for the future, improving the reliability of rail passengers' journeys