Why Delhi Metro is a Suicide point?

 It is easy. 

Often no barricades, no Metro personnel manning the platform and you have to just jump off the tracks before a coming Metro train. It's over within seconds.

Contrary to any perception whatsoever, a suicide attempt in the Metro premises doesn't mean a certain death. As per a senior Metro official, at least 125 lives have been saved by the Metro drivers by applying emergency brakes.

When it comes to suicide at Metro, Delhi Metro is not an anomaly as other Metros too have seen suicides by people. The first Indian Metro in Kolkata has seen 110 deaths since its inception in 1988. In Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), 60 people have tried to kill themselves since 2005 with 68 percent success rate.

So why do more  people commit suicide in Metro premises?

A metro of any city, especially in a city like Delhi is the pinnacle of the modern city development when compared with the under developed parts of the city. Other than an easier way to kill yourself, the surreal ambiance inside the Metro premises seems to provide a sudden  urge to commit suicide.

Most of the suicides in Delhi Metro are instant and a very few are premeditated along with a suicide letter.  Fast moving Metro trains, air conditioned premises and an unreal city within the real city can tempt any depressed person to jump off the tracks  on the spur of the moment. Since people use the Metro for the everyday basic transport, a stressed, angst ridden person travelling alone is more likely to feel this sudden urge. This is the reason that there are very rare instances of people committing suicide in a swanky mall or airport in Delhi.

With 4 suicides in 6 days, Delhi Metro has become a sort of suicide point. More people will be tempted to commit suicide after reading the reports of suicides, a domino effect in making. The Delhi Metro authorities need to station more personnel on the platforms to make it difficult for people to commit an easy suicide at a sudden urge.

Update : 15th August : The efforts by Delhi metro to make it difficult for people to commit suicide have shown results but the suicide rates remain unabated at the Delhi Metro. There have been two attempts to commit suicide in last three days with one person ended up losing his life. The last case of suicide on 15th August was a classical case of sudden urge  when an elderly man suddenly jumped off the Metro tracks.