LATE on Tuesday night, as hundreds of people were packed like sardines on a busy train headed for the NSW South Coast, a female guard grabbed the intercom and put things into perspective.

Just after 6pm, a person had taken their own life at a train station in Como, in Sydney’s south.

As the procedure goes, the South Coast line was closed for hours while police finished their investigation, declared the death “self harm” and took the body away.

The fatality meant the dozens of trains that were supposed to pass between Hurstville and Sutherland were severely delayed.

Buses replaced some of the services but hundreds of people from the city back to the South Coast were left stranded on platforms, frustrated and watching the number of minutes their trains would be delayed tick up.

But as one train pulled into Como Station, less than three hours after the person’s death, the female guard grabbed the intercom.

“I’d just like to say our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the person who took their own life tonight,” she said.

“But we’re also thinking of the driver.

“Nobody goes to work to kill anybody, that’s for sure, and our drivers deal with that more than we even know.

In 2016-17, Sydney train drivers witnessed 26 fatalities that police attributed to self harm.

In Victoria, the state with the highest death toll for train suicides, a person takes their life every eight days.

Across Australia in 2014, more than 2800 people took their own lives and 150 of them involved trains.

In 2016, deaths on railways became so severe, especially in the way it was traumatising drivers, that a partnership was developed between Lifeline Australia and TrackSAFE.

The partnership was formed in an attempt to reduce the number of incidents on Australia’s railways and aims to reduce suicides by 10 per cent over three years.

In 2016, Lifeline Australia CEO Pete Shmigel said the partnership would help the country’s most vulnerable in locations where they’re at high risk such as train platforms.

“With tens of thousands of Australian families, friends and workmates impacted by suicides on the rail network each year, this partnership is taking a practical and compassionate approach to saving lives,” Mr Shmigel said.

TrackSAFE Foundation Chairman Bob Herbert said he hoped the partnership could save lives.

“Sadly, there are 150 fatalities and serious injuries occurring each year as a result of rail suicide and rail suicide attempts. These incidents not only seriously effect members of the community, but also have a profound and lasting impact on train drivers and other frontline rail employees,” Mr Herbert said.

“We are committed to doing what we can — together with the rail industry — to address the serious issue of suicide in Australia, specifically on the rail network and the resultant trauma caused to train drivers and other rail employees.”

A spokesman for Sydney Trains told news.com.au the organisation was committed to ensuring the health and well-being of staff, and that employees were provided with an assistance program.

“Additional support is provided to any staff member involved in a critical incident on our network,” a statement said.

“For both drivers and guards, this support includes immediate crew relief, access to qualified medical and psychological professionals, Critical Incident Leave and a structured return to work program.

“When a driver or guard return to work, they receive a minimum of two shifts and up to five shifts of peer support from a trained crew member. During this time, the driver is able to either operate the train, or ride-along with the peer support crew member.”

Sydney Trains said managers and other staff were also given training to “ensure incidents are handled sensitively”.

If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Lifeline.org.au.