Dutch Railway Sector reveals the unseen aftermath

In collaboration with advertising agency Yune, the Dutch Railway Sector and 113 Suicide Prevention have launched this impactful and thoughtfully crafted campaign, titled Lives on Hold.  

Sensitively directed by Juul Op den Kamp, the cinematic hero film follows a man who is struggling with his mental health on the day he decides to take his own life. His thoughts clouded by depression, he considers how everyone around him would be better off if he wasn’t here as he goes about his day.  

As he later stands on the railway tracks, he's transported to the immediate aftermath of his death. With life freeze-framed around him, he observes the impact on everyone from the first responders to his mother waiting to hear the news.  

Without passing judgement or inducing guilt, the impactful story aims to show how a single suicide on the railway can affect on average 135 lives – not only loved ones, but also travellers who are witnesses, railway employees such as a train driver, conductor, incident response teams, and the control room.