Plea to ‘stay off the tracks’
Network Rail has issued an urgent warning against trespassing on Scotland’s railways, after fatalities nearly doubled in a year.
Trespassing on the railway is illegal and can cause life-changing injuries or death, the national rail operator warned, as new figures revealed a “worrying” 85 per cent rise in fatalities in 2023/24 compared with 2022/23.
In 2023/24, there were 1,008 trespassing incidents and 24 fatalities, compared with 914 trespassing incidents and 13 fatalities in 2022/23.
Figures showed the number of trespass incidents spiked after the clocks went forward and the lighter nights begun during the month of April in both 2022 and 2023.
Ahead of the start of British Summer Time, people are being reminded that trains can travel at speeds up to 125mph. If the brakes are applied, it can take the length of 20 football pitches for a train to come to a complete stop.
The electricity used to power the railway – 25,000 volts in the overhead cables and 750 volts in the third rail – is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You do not have to touch the electricity sources on the railway to be at risk of harm. Electricity can jump and arc.
Innis Keith, health, safety and environment director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “The railway is an incredibly dangerous environment and those who trespass are breaking the law and risking their lives.
“The impact of choosing to go on to the tracks can be devastating, not just for those who sadly end up with life-changing injuries or worse, but for their families and railway staff who can be traumatised by these events.
“Added to that is the huge cost to passengers who miss important appointments, to businesses whose people can’t get to where they need to be, and to the emergency services who have to use vital resources on responding to these incidents.”
It is estimated that trespass – and the resulting train delays and cancellations – costs the rail industry across Scotland, England and Wales £60 million every year, with the wider economic costs running into the hundreds of millions.
Network Rail also reopened the West Highland Line on Monday March 25, after a nine-day closure for a £1.6m upgrade to Rannoch viaduct.
Zoe Monkhouse, Network Rail’s project manager for the Rannoch viaduct project, said: “Our team has worked aroundthe-clock to deliver this project safely and efficiently and to get the line reopened for passengers as planned.
Trespassing on the tracks is not only extremely dangerous, the illegal act also costs Network Rail millions of pounds every year.
“This investment will extend the lifespan of the structure, improving the long-term reliability of the line, and we are pleased to have completed the work on time.
“We would like to thank passengers for their patience during the project.”
Network Rail also renewed several sections of track between Tyndrum and Roy Bridge and between Spean Bridge and Arisaig during the line closure.
In addition, engineers modernised the railway signalling system in and on the approaches to Fort William station and within the signal box. This included moving some signalling posts and upgrading the signalling lights to LED.