Railway tresspass warningis delivered

Buddies are being warned that trespassing on the railway is illegal and can cause life-changing injuries or death.

The urgent has been issued by Network Rail after newlyreleased statistics revealed a worrying rise in people trespassing on the tracks.

Railway trespassing continues to be a huge problem with the number of incidents rising by 11 per cent – and fatalities by 85 per cent – in 2023/24 compared with 2022/23.

Figures also show that 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.

Now that British Summer Time is here, 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 don’t have to touch the electricity sources on the railway to be at risk of harm. Electricity can jump and arc.

Health, safety and environment director at Network Rail Scotland, Innis Keith, 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.

“No one wants to see people come to harm so we’re urging everyone to ensure they and their loved ones stay safe, stay off the tracks.”