August 13th 2023.
CCTV footage captured an alarming scene of a father standing on a train crossing while two small children were playing on the live tracks. Network Rail released the footage as a warning to other parents to remind them of the dangers of playing on tracks.
The footage shows the father looking at his phone for around a minute and a half, even after his daughter says “a train is coming”. The video is part of a compilation of dangerous behaviors caught at crossings in Worcestershire and the West Midlands.
Alexandra France, Network Rail Level Crossing Safety Manager, commented on the footage and the risk of serious injury or worse: “In so many of the incidents filmed, the difference of just a few seconds could have led to tragedy for those involved. I can’t downplay the danger they were in – with serious injury or worse a huge possibility.”
Other worrying clips from the compilation included a teenager doing one-armed press-ups in the middle of a crossing with loud music playing in the background. On another occasion, a dog walker was seen encouraging their two dogs to sit on the tracks while someone else took photos of them.
Furthermore, a primary school-aged boy on a scooter was seen running in front of an oncoming train which thundered by seven seconds later. Even more concerning was the number of children caught on camera putting ballast stones on the tracks for the trains to run over.
France went on to say: “No matter how well you think you know a crossing, all users must obey the rules around using level crossings every time they use it. It just really isn’t worth the risk.”
Network Rail reported that almost 50 concerning cases have been reported by train drivers or caught on hidden cameras in Worcestershire and the West Midlands this year. The six incidents included in the film are just a small fraction of these concerning cases. Parents should be aware of the dangers and always follow safety rules around train crossings.
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