There is never an easy way to broach the subject of fatalities on the railways. They are an ever-present risk to drivers and train-crew, and have unfortunately come crashing into my little world in quite a big way just lately.
Obviously there was the recent and widely reported tragedy at Elsenham, but there has been yet another this evening. This time the fatality happened at Hackney Downs and was the result of a suicide. Thankfully I was up the Hertford branch at the time it happened, but the recovery was still in progress when I called at Hackney Downs on the way back well over an hour later. By that time, the services on our lines had been comprehensively disrupted which caused many services to be delayed or cancelled. It's quite surprising how much havoc the selfish actions of a single person can cause.
Having said that, my overriding emotional response to such events is deep sadness. Whether through accident or deliberate action, I can't help but feel that a life has been wasted and that there will inevitably be others, such as friends or family members, whose lives will be utterly affected as a result.
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