South Western Railway partners with charity for Safe Way Home campaign
Someone goes missing in the UK every 90 seconds
South Western Railway (SWR) has partnered with charity Missing People to launch their new ‘Safe Way Home’ campaign.
The campaign hopes to encourage anyone who is thinking of going missing or is already missing to contact the Missing People helpline.
Throughout October, posters and announcements across the SWR network are directing people in crisis to make contact to access the help they need.
Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director of South Western Railway, said SWR are committed to safeguarding vulnerable people.
“The cost-of-living crisis is putting an even greater strain on many across society, including in the communities we serve. This campaign encourages anyone on our network who is missing or thinking of going missing to contact Missing People for support.
“By partnering together, I hope that more people in crisis get the help that they need, keeping people safe and reuniting them with their loved ones.”
In the UK, someone goes missing every 90 seconds, with almost 170,000 people reported missing in the year 2021-22.
Nearly 70,000 of those are children.
And as not all missing people are reported as such, the true numbers are thought to be higher.
There are several reasons why people go missing, with some of the most common for adults being financial problems, mental health issues, domestic abuse and relationship breakdowns.
The link between transport is considered strong, with trains allowing people to take one-way journeys away from home.
Stations and trains also provide safe havens, with shelter and amenities such as Wi-Fi.