NR fined after teenage trespasser suffers electrocution injuries

Network Rail has been fined £135,000 by Edinburgh Sheriff Court for failing to maintain and improve lineside fencing near Musselburgh, which led to a 13-year-old boy receiving serious injuries.

The incident happened on August 19, when a group of teenagers entered a gap in the railway fence near Queen Margaret University.

One of them climbed onto the roof of a tank wagon on a freight train which had stopped at red signals. He came close to the 25kV overhead cable and received an electric shock that caused serious burns.

The Office of Rail and Road’s investigation revealed that although there was clear evidence of trespass and graffiti in the area, the fence provided by NR was substandard and poorly maintained, such that unauthorised access to the railway was straightforward. NR was fined on December 15 after pleading guilty to an offence under health and safety law.

HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser said: “Network Rail has done a lot of work to limit the number of trespass issues on the railway and raise awareness of the potential life-threatening dangers that can follow.

“But on this occasion, it failed to maintain an adequate boundary to stop people getting onto the railway track and preventing an incident like this occurring.

“The railway is an extremely dangerous environment. I would urge parents to talk to their children about its hazards and remind them to stay away from the tracks.”