Train operator Southeastern is working with national charity Missing People to support people who are in crisis on the railway this summer.

More than 170,000 people are reported missing in the UK every year, and 17% (around one in six) of those cases take place in areas served by the Southeastern network.

Missing people have a high risk of serious harm. Around a thousand people die while missing each year.

People who are distressed often use railway stations and trains as places to seek help. Missing People receives an average of three calls a day from people in distress at stations or on trains.

Southeastern is spending £49,500 from its Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF) on its programme of help for people in crisis to return home safely, which will include training staff and funding the Missing People’s Helpline.

Elements of the project are:

• Staff training: Southeastern staff will receive guidance on how to support individuals in crisis at in-person workshops and through short videos.
• Awareness campaign: Posters, advertisements and digital screens will promote the Missing People’s Helpline to vulnerable individuals to Missing People’s Helpline.
• Travel solutions for vulnerable people: Southeastern’s Safeguarding team will work with the charity to help vulnerable individuals to return to safety by rail.
• Helpline funding: The grant from Southeastern will pay for Missing People’s confidential Helpline for one month.

This project is one of eleven that are being funded this year through Southeastern’s Customer and Community Investment Fund. The operator describes the fund as supporting initiatives that “deliver social value, promote equality, and strengthen community wellbeing”.

Missing People has also worked with other train operators, such as South Western Railway, on similar projects.

This year, the Fund has also given grants to other projects, including support for disabled travellers, domestic abuse survivors, and mentoring for young people at risk.

“We are incredibly grateful to Southeastern for their generous support and ongoing commitment to Missing People. This support means the charity can be there 365 days a year for people in crisis who are missing, and for families still searching.

“Projects like this ensure people know where to go for help. Together, we’re making sure that railway stations are about more than arrivals and departures, but places where people in crisis can find much needed safety and support.”

Jo Youle OBE, Chief Executive of Missing People