According to the International Union of Railways (UIC) safety data base report 2022, over 90% of all fatalities on the rail infrastructure involve third parties (mainly trespassers and level crossing users).
The International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) is a worldwide initiative to improve awareness of level crossing safety. Since 2009 the campaign has been spearheaded by the UIC, the worldwide railway organisation with the support of the railway community around the world.
In 2021 UIC decided to set up the TreSP-Network an international working group to exchange internationally on existing Trespass and Suicide Prevention programmes, best practices, and measures taken or to take to decrease the number of incidents and casualties.
For the first time, on 8th June 2022 in the afternoon, the day before the ILCAD Conference a half-day session dedicated to Trespass and Suicide Prevention was co-organised jointly by International Union of Railways (UIC), Association of American Railroads (AAR), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Operation Lifesaver inc. (OLI).
Trespass and Suicide events affect the whole of the rail industry with an adverse impact on safety, performance, reputation, costs and efficiency. It affects all parts of the business and the society as a whole and is therefore something that we must tackle together.
The Trespass and Suicide Prevention Conference to launch “TreSPAD”, the new UIC International Trespass Prevention Awareness Day campaign aims to share with industry partners the key activities that existing programmes are undertaking.
Through this conference we will aim to identify what exists, what else is needed, what individual organisations can do to help prevent trespass and suicides and how we can work much closer together on these issues.
In 2022 the international conference to launch the 14th ILCAD campaign was on 9 June in Denver (Colorado) preceded by a special session on “Trespass and Suicide Prevention” on 8 June and followed by technical visit on 10 June. The events were co-organised by International Union of Railways (UIC), Association of American Railroads (AAR), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Operation Lifesaver inc. (OLI).
The 2023 events will be kindly hosted by PKP and PKP Group Foundation in Warsaw, Poland.
On the 14th June 2023 the TRESPAD (Trespass Prevention Awareness Day) launch conference will be held at the National Institute of Polish Rural Culture and Heritage = Narodowy Instytut Kultury i Dziedzictwa Wsi on Krakowskie Przedmieście Street (website only in Polish).
It will be followed on 15 June by the international conference to launch the 15th edition of ILCAD at a nearby venue : the Royal Castle of Warsaw.
On 16th June we also have foreseen a technical visit.
Should you wish to submit an abstract to the Trespass and Suicide Prevention Conference hosted by PKP and [PKP Group Foundation on 14 June 2023, please fill in the form below by March 31, 2023.