This morning there were big train delays in Bern area due to a "suicide" in a nearby train station. Needless to stay that several trains were canceled and other having big delays. It's the 2nd time this week that it happens.
I am not questioning the "suicide" choice part, it's a personal choice and several reasons are behind such an act.
The question is about the "how" part:
1) why on railways?
2) why choosing to have an impact on other people's lives?

How you die tells a lot about how you lived.

1) why on railways?

It's there, it's effective and I don't think we can understand the state of mind of someone who is about to kill themselves.

2) why choosing to have an impact on other people's lives?

When you are in such despair, that taking your own life is the only way out, I don't think other people's commute to work is of any consequence. Maybe they think that it will highlight the importance of love for life and the insignificance of the grudge most of us feel about having to work in the monkey cage.

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The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few

I've heard somewhere, that it's the preferred method here in Switzerland. Also, I believe that if you've gone so far as to contemplate your own existence...you don't necessarily care how you'll impact other IMO.

I do not have much sympathy with a person offing themselves in this way, if you want to see what is on the other side do it alone like going for a swim in the ocean and becoming a part of the food chain
My sympathies lay with the train driver and the poor bugger who has to scrape your testicles off the front of the train.

Contemplating your existence is very different from deciding to terminate this version of it.

Because you know the train is gonna be on time. Last thing you want is the frustration of waiting for a late train.

Well, that's what I mean by it. (sorry, little early for me )

If it comes to that stage, I shouldn't imagine there's much thinking involved.

You just want the pain to go away, here comes a train, BANG.

The consequences for other people are likely the last thing on your mind.

People who decide to commit suicide do so long before they get to the station. The decision is usualy made before they leave their homes for the last time after which they function on a sort of "auto pilot"

If people want to commit suicide, fine, it's a personal choice, but i do wish they wouldn't involve others such as the train driver to do their dirty work, it's very poor form. It's bad enough when you find one and got to clear up afterwards, just think of flies on the front of your car multiplied by 1000.

Were you on the Thun - Bern route?. There is a mental institution just nearby the railway tracks in Rubigen.

Whenever we have delays beause of suicides, it is always near Rubigen.

Well in bern central station the information mentioned that the accident was at "wankdorf".

You know that for a fact, do you?

I disagree. There's not much rationality involved in a lot of suicides.

As a former commuter I can only say that it happens far too regularly... but the preferred method seems to be an even bigger tabboo to talk about. Hint: While in most countries it would be illegal to own one, every adult male gets one as a present and stores it at home together with a handfull of bullets...

why the train. because you can be pretty sure it will actually do the trick, stick your head on the track and bang. I feel sorry for the poor sod who has to pick the bits of brains and body up.

With all the guns floating around I'm suprised shooting isn't the number 1 method. Maybe they are scared they'll screw it up and get a fine for using some of there army bullets?

The first victim on Wednesday was from Sri Lanka and jumped from a 10th strorey appartment onto the railway tracks of a commuter railway RBS. He was discovered in the morning, so the nearby railway line might not have been relevant, http://map.search.ch/d/gnhnjc5mw

Wankdorf is nearby but on a different S Bahn route, SBB and not RBS.
http://map.search.ch/d/gnhnjc5mw

As Justbeingme stated there are many suicides on the railway near the hospital at Münsingen (not Rübigen) which is about 15 Km to the south,
http://map.search.ch/d/gnhnjc5mw

So I would guess that the only connection between them is the media reporting their deaths.

I disagree - I think some suicides are very selfish. Like this one. And they want to impact as many peoples lives as they can, what they may not have been able to do in life.

("....you dont care about me, i'll make you care....")

Unfortunately for most of us, we will only remember this as the day we were late for work, if at all. For this persons family and friends, they will remember this day for ever...

The media report deaths on railway lines. I doubt they report most of the suicides that happen...

We don't know what is in the mind of every suicidal person, and I don't doubt that there are some drama queens who want to milk every ounce of attention out of their demise, but having been pretty close to doing something stupid myself a few years ago, all I can say is that trains are, in this country at least, a very convenient means of getting the job done, with no special planning or organisation involved. As I said above: You just want the pain to end, here comes a train, BANG!

When you're so low that you're considering jumping in front of several tonnes of hurtling metal, the fact that you're going to ruin the lives of the driver, the witnesses and everyone who knows you couldn't be further from your mind. Objectively, it is selfish - that cannot be denied. Subjectively, however, it isn't, as selfishness would imply some kind of rational thought process. At that point, rationality is long gone. All that matters is making the pain go away.

Of course, as with so many things, one's mileage may vary.

Mental illness is a selfish illness, in it's nature it's a lonely, isolating and tortuous bubble. I think the families and close friends of many people who kill themselves in this method understand but wish they had ended their lives without involving others.

Don't suppose they give a schitt about people being late for work though!

not only here in switzerland, in germany as well...
i know several people close to me that killed himself or
relatives that chose to use to jump infront of a train.

last year two famous people jumped infront of a train.
a german national team goalkeeper and a guy who run a pharma company.

i think they choose the train as it hardly fails and maybe is quick and painless.
i dont think there are many doing it to on top send a message out...