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TfL's Sarah Hope Line marks a decade of supporting people affected by lifechanging or traumatic incidents on the TfL network.

• The Mayor of London and TfL hosted a commemorative event with safety campaigners and founder Sarah Hope MBE to mark 10 years since The Sarah Hope Line was introduced  
• Safety is a top priority for TfL, and the service continues to play a vital role in TfL's wider Vision Zero commitment to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London's transport system and responding with compassion and care when things do go wrong     

Transport for London (TfL) marks the 10th anniversary of The Sarah Hope Line, the flagship customer incident support service that offers compassionate, practical support to anyone affected by a fatal, life-changing, or traumatic incident on TfL's transport network.

Alongside TfL's steadfast and ongoing commitment to improving safety it is vital that support is available to victims and their loved ones if safety incidents occur. The Sarah Hope Line was set up in 2016 by TfL in partnership with Sarah Hope MBE, after she tragically lost her mother and sustained lifechanging injuries alongside her daughter in a devastating collision with a bus in 2007. Over the last 10 years, the Sarah Hope Line has provided vital, tailored support to more than 600 individuals and families.

To mark the milestone anniversary, TfL, the Mayor of London and Sarah Hope MBE hosted a commemorative event on 16 February. This brought together those who have been supported by The Sarah Hope Line with those who have shaped and championed the service over the past decade, including its founder, Sarah Hope MBE, who joined attendees in reflecting on the profound impact the Sarah Hope Line has had across the capital, and the difference it will continue to make in the years ahead.

Anyone who contacts The Sarah Hope Line receives tailored support according to their circumstances. This can include trauma counselling, guidance towards specialist charities and organisations, help with travel costs, assistance with funeral expenses and arrangements, and short-term accommodation. The team also regularly supports individuals affected by incidents that occurred years earlier, but who are only now ready to seek help.

The introduction of The Sarah Hope Line formed a key part of TfL's wider commitments to Vision Zero to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London's transport system. As part of this work, TfL and the Mayor of London committed to collaborating closely with regulators, operators and other stakeholders to thoroughly investigate serious incidents and ensure lessons are learned and shared.

Sarah Hope MBE, founder of the Sarah Hope Line, yesterday said:

"For ten years, the Sarah Hope Line has stood beside people on the hardest days of their lives, offering kindness, compassion and practical help when it's needed most. Every call reminds us that behind every incident is a real person and a family who deserve to be heard and supported — and it gives us hope that together we can build a safer, kinder future. I ask everyone to play their part: stand with us, speak up for reducing danger, and help make London's streets safer for all."

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, yesterday said:

"The aftermath of a serious incident on our transport network is harrowing, and it's vital that everyone affected gets professional help when they need it

"The Sarah Hope Line has provided vital support to Londoners affected by serious incidents on our transport network over the past decade, and I want to thank Sarah for her strong campaigning which made this service a reality.

"This service is a key part of our commitment to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from the capital's transport system, as we continue building a safer and better London for all."

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: "Dealing with the aftermath of a serious incident is a position no one ever hopes to find themselves in and The Sarah Hope Line plays a vital role in offering compassionate assistance to those involved in or affected by a lifechanging or traumatic incident on our network. We are extremely grateful to Sarah for her work with us to launch and run the service, which is central to our commitment to creating a safer transport network for everyone, providing comfort, practical help and a listening ear to people impacted by incidents every year."

The Sarah Hope Line team offers a wide range of support including helping to ensure belongings are returned to a person's family in the case of tragic incidents. This was the case last year when the team received a referral from the British Transport Police regarding a young person who suffered a sudden medical episode at a central London Tube station and sadly passed away. The team stayed in contact with his family, offering support and guidance through unfamiliar processes, and worked with the British Transport Police, to ensure the young person's belongings were safely returned to the family.

TfL is committed to doing all it can to support those who suffer injuries or lose loved ones in incidents on its network. As part of this work, TfL has published its Commitment to Openness, setting out what people can expect following a serious incident.

Post incident support is one of the five pillars of Vision Zero, and it is through Vision Zero that the Mayor's Transport Strategy has set out the goal that, by 2041, all deaths and serious injuries will be eliminated from London's transport network.

Notes to Editors

• The Sarah Hope line offers comprehensive help and support to people who have been injured during, or affected by, a serious incident involving TfL services. The service covers incidents on all TfL modes of transport, including bus, Tube, Elizabeth line, London Overground, DLR and trams. More information about the Sarah Hope Line is available here
• Last year, TfL announced three years of funding for a support service for victims of the most serious road traffic collisions in London, alongside the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)
• More information about Vision Zero is available here
• More information on TfL's Commitment to openness can be found here
• Information on TfL and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime's Road Victim Support service, which supports victims of road collisions, is available here
•  All TfL frontline staff are trained to support people involved in incidents on TfL's network and are regularly commended for looking after customers    
• Safety is TfL's top priority and measures are being taken across the network to help prevent deaths and serious injuries. This includes a stairs and escalators plan to help prevent slips, trips and falls, which account for the largest number of serious injuries on the TfL network. TfL has also developed a Platform Train Interface plan, which sets out actions to minimise the risk of injuries to customers when they are boarding or getting off trains, and safety measures have been introduced across the whole trams fleet 
• TfL also continues to make London's roads safer for everyone and deliver a range of major programmes to reduce road danger. This includes the world-leading Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for HGVs, a major Safer Junctions programme, lowering speed limits, increasing enforcement for dangerous driving, and delivering the life-saving Bus Safety Standard (BSS), which is setting a global benchmark for bus safety