Railway trespass

Network Rail says more people than ever are risking their lives by trespassing on the railway.

Its latest figures suggest there were more than 8,000 trespass incidents in 2016, a record figure and an 11% rise on the previous year’s total. The company’s data shows that young people are more likely to trespass, with half of those killed under the age of 25.

In 2015-16, according to NR’s annual return, there were 31 adult fatalities (up from 26 in the previous year). 72% of those killed in the past ten years on the railway were struck by a train, with another 17% electrocuted and the remainder killed by a fatal fall on or near the railway.

Investigations suggest that taking short cuts was the main motivation for trespass (42% of total incidents) followed by what NR describes as “thrill seeking” (19%).

The figures also suggest that youth trespass is more prevalent in areas of socio-economic deprivation. In a bid to try to combat rising trespass, and youth trespass in particular, NR and the British Transport Police (BTP) have launched a schools engagement programme where community safety managers and BTP officers will teach children about railway safety.

NR Head of Public and Passenger Safety Allan Spence said: “Every April we see a huge rise in the number of people taking a risk on the rail network, and it’s worrying that these numbers seem to be going up.

“Britain has the safest railway in Europe but still too many people lose their lives on the tracks. The dangers may not always be obvious, but the electricity on the railway is always on and trains can travel up to 125mph, so even if they see you, they can’t stop in time.”

The company highlighted the experience of Paralympic wheelchair basketball player Simon Munn, as an example of the risks of trespass. Aged 22, he had to have a leg amputated after deciding to take a short-cut over a railway. His foot was caught and a passing train ran over it.