A shocking image showing a girl lying in the middle of a railroad track where trains go at 85 mph has been released as Network Rail urges children to stay away from the tracks.
The teenager appears to be casually using her cell phone as another girl stands beside her, despite the incredible dangers.
The image – captured by CCTV at a level crossing near Horsham in West Sussex last month – was shared by Network Rail in an attempt to highlight the risks and potentially fatal consequences.
Other photos released Tuesday show two boys walking the tracks in Bewbush, near Crawley.
It comes after figures released in March showed there had been a 40% increase in incidents of youth trespassing in south-east London, Surrey and Sussex after the region emerged from the first national lockdown.
Vincent van der Hoeven, Head of Road Quality, Health, Safety and Environment at Network Rail, said: âWe really need to get the message out to children and their parents about the dangers of an intrusion on the track.
âWe strive to get the message across in schools and on social media through our film Parallel Lines and our You Vs Train campaign. “
Nicola Dooris, South East Highway Community Safety Officer, said: âUnfortunately, during the lockdown we saw an increase in the number of young people having fun on the railroad.
âOn this section of track, trains often run at 85 mph, and at this speed, unlike cars, trains can take hundreds of meters to stop – a fact that many young people don’t realize.
âUsing CCTV like this, I am often able to locate and talk to young people, and I would much rather do that than help our staff deal with the consequences of killing young people. “
The children, whose identities were disguised in CCTV footage, were questioned by transport police officers, Network Rail said.