First reported 1 Dec 2021•Latest report 5 Aug 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures of the railway concern-for-welfare information-sharing and reporting process, including obtaining, relaying, recording, escalating or communicating relevant welfare information between signallers, control rooms, railway operators, attending managers and relevant emergency or partner agencies.
Not included
Excludes generic communication or information-sharing deficiencies that are not specifically tied to a railway concern-for-welfare report or incident.
Excludes failures of the underlying welfare assessment or emergency response where the railway information-sharing process was not deficient.
Excludes routine railway operational information that does not concern a person's welfare or an associated safety response.
Excludes police, ambulance or other emergency-service information-sharing failures outside the railway concern-for-welfare process.
Reports
4
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
5
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2021–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
11
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Network Rail2
British Transport Police1
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust1
Govia Thameslink Railway Limited1
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust1
NHS trust2
Rail infrastructure manager2
Special police force1
Train operating company1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Dorset
Concerns raised1
Failure to relay signaller-driver welfare information to the attending Driver Manager
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Action
Consider the investigation report and recommendation at the SPAD Recommendations and Review Panel.
Stated by Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 5 August 2025.
Action
Review the end-to-end incident communication process through the industry working group, including welfare concern escalation and communication.
Stated by Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 5 August 2025.
Action
Develop guidance for signallers communicating with drivers after incidents.
Stated by Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 5 August 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
The Network Rail signaller had a means to relay the driver's welfare concerns to train company Control through the incident logging system.
Stated by Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
West London
Concerns raised1
Failure to make relevant inquiries when British Transport Police reporting is ambiguous or incomplete
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Essex
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of resources to identify and provide information about all unstaffed railway station attendances
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
West Sussex
Concerns raised2
Failure to provide control-room staff with appropriate information for responding to concern-for-welfare reports
Failure to appropriately share and report concern-for-welfare information with relevant agencies
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.8
Action
Create and implement a joint incident-management procedure distinguishing concern-for-welfare reports from person-ill-on-train incidents.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway Limited and Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Brief every Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway control-room staff member on recognising, handling and sharing concern-for-welfare reports.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway Limited and Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Disseminate the concern-for-welfare briefing through face-to-face and virtual briefings to all national route controls.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway Limited and Network Rail Infrastructure LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Hold Operations Development Days on responding consistently to vulnerable people and welfare concerns.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Incorporate learning from the Operations Development Days into a new welfare-reporting section of the Joint Incident Management Framework.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Develop a training course for handling vulnerable people’s calls through telephones and station help points.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway LimitedStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Assess control-room staff annually through a practical exercise on responding to help-point calls from suicidal people.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway LimitedStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
Action
Strengthen guidance on non-emergency welfare concerns through training and staff briefings, reinforcing contact with British Transport Police.
Stated by Govia Thameslink Railway LimitedStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 21 February 2022.
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Includes failures of the railway concern-for-welfare information-sharing and reporting process, including obtaining, relaying, recording, escalating or communicating relevant welfare information between signallers, control rooms, railway operators, attending managers and relevant emergency or partner agencies.
