Parents urged to warn kids of rail dangers

Railway danger

PARENTS in the North-West are being urged to speak to their children about the dangers of playing on railway lines after new figures showed that youngsters are twice as likely to trespass on the tracks over summer compared with winter.

British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail are urging parents to warn their children of the dangers of playing on the tracks as over the past 10 years, almost 170 young people have lost their lives after trespassing on the railway.

Statistics showed there were 270 reports of trespass in the region in the summer last year, including 97 in Manchester, resulting in more than 12,000 minutes of delays to passengers in the North-West.

Most trespassers highlight taking a short cut (42 per cent) as their main motivation for committing the crime, followed by thrill-seeking (19 per cent).

Nick Jordan, community safety manager for Network Rail, said: "We are urging parents to remind their children that if they are on the railway, they are on dangerous ground. It may seem like a good idea to take a shortcut, or like fun to play on the tracks, but this is not only illegal, it is also dangerous.

Patrols

In response to the seasonal surge in incidents, officers from British Transport Police are stepping up patrols across the region.

Chief Inspector Sue Peters, who is responsible for BTP's response to trespass in the North-West, said: "We're doing all we can to keep children safe by patrolling areas where we know they're likely to trespass and prevent them from doing so.

"However, we cover thousands of miles of track and we cannot tackle this issue alone. That is why we are urging parents and young people to heed this warning and take a reality check when it comes to trespass.

"It's not a game ­- they are real tracks, with real trains and real-life consequences."

Warning: Video contains distressing scenes.