Strasbourg, 12/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Fatal accidents on the European rail network are first of all due to suicides or unauthorised behaviour on the tracks, and then to accidents at level crossings. The European Railway Agency (ERA) counted some 2,500 accidents causing injury or death along European rail tracks in 2010. This figure is now in decline. Out of the 188 deaths linked to rail accidents, only 5% were employees or passengers. In fact, 60% of accidents and 40% of serious injury concerned people crossing or walking along the rail tracks at unauthorised places. These figures have not declined, ERA bemoans. One quarter of the accidents are due to incidents at level crossings, but the ERA points out that the situation is improving. The large majority of deaths remain linked to suicide. There are 50 per week throughout the European rail network, but these accidents are accounted for separately. Figures collected by the ERA show that rail transport is one of the safest modes of transport. (MD/transl.jl)