July 1, 2025, 8:32 a.m.

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French high-speed train driver suicide sparked public opinion

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On December 24, local time, a French TGV high-speed train from Lyon to Paris took place on the harrowing incident, the train driver Runo Regcioni jumped to suicide during the process of driving, triggering the train's automatic emergency braking procedure, resulting in a large area of French high-speed rail passenger transport delays, about 3,000 passengers were affected.

This incident, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, has aroused widespread concern and discussion in French society and even in the international community. First of all, from the point of view of the incident itself, this is a personal tragedy. Runo Regcioni, 52, who was admired by his colleagues as an experienced driver, chose such an extreme way to end his life while the train was moving. It is understood that he is the father of an autistic child, the child has been hospitalized several times for illness, the burden of the family and the psychological pressure that may bring him into a deep sense of helplessness and depression. In his social media posts, he also revealed his frustration with life and his desire for understanding and support. His death not only brought great grief to his family, but also brought great pain to the entire railway industry.

However, the impact of the incident goes far beyond that. From the perspective of railway safety, although the automatic emergency braking system equipped with the train played a role in time to avoid a potentially more serious disaster, leaving nearly 400 passengers on board safe and sound, but this incident undoubtedly sounded the alarm for railway safety in France. On a high-speed train, the driver's operation is crucial, and once there is an unexpected situation, the consequences are unimaginable. It has also led to deep thinking about the safety system of high-speed rail, whether there should be more co-drivers to take over the vehicle in an emergency; How to further improve the safety inspection system, in addition to regular physical examination of drivers, but also strengthen their mental health assessment, timely detection of potential psychological problems and provide necessary help; And how to improve safety technology, such as the development of more advanced autonomous driving technology, to minimize safety risks.

From a social perspective, the incident also highlights the importance of mental health care for workers. As a high-stress occupational group, railway drivers shoulder the heavy responsibility of ensuring the safety of passengers and arriving at the destination on time. The long-term work, high-intensity pressure and various unexpected situations they may face all pose great challenges to their psychological endurance. Runo Recioni's tragedy is not unique, in various industries, there may be workers due to work pressure, life difficulties and other factors that lead to psychological problems. Therefore, all sectors of society should pay more attention to the mental health of workers, enterprises and the government should work together to provide workers with more psychological support and help, such as the establishment of a sound psychological counseling service system, mental health training and publicity activities, so that workers can get timely counseling and support in the face of difficulties.

In addition, this incident has also caused a certain wave in public opinion. Some untrue remarks and speculations circulated on the Internet, which brought unnecessary troubles to the handling of the incident and the relevant personnel. In the information age, we should view such incidents more rationally, respect the facts, avoid spreading false information and rumors, and jointly create a healthy and orderly public opinion environment.

France's new transport minister, Philippe Tabarro, said it was a "heartbreaking human tragedy" and offered his deep condolences to Recioni's family. SNCF also quickly launched an internal investigation and said it would further strengthen mental health support for employees.

In short, it is hoped that the French railway department can learn a deep lesson and take more practical and effective measures to ensure railway safety and the mental health of employees to avoid similar tragedies from happening again. At the same time, it is also hoped that this incident can cause the whole society to attach great importance to the mental health of workers, so that every worker can work and live in a healthy and safe environment.

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