CCTV released of trespassers on the line at North East stations
Alarming CCTV has been released to urge people to stay off the railway after more than 2,600 incidents of trespass in the last year across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and the North East.
There's calls for parents to talk to kids about safety around the North East's railways this summer - as Network rail urge people to stay away from the tracks.
There were 2,660 incidents of trespassing recorded across the North and East in 2023-24, with 314 of them children.
These incidents caused passengers to face nearly 12,000 minutes of delayed trains - equivalent to more than 8 days***.
The CCTV shows irresponsible behaviour at Newton Aycliffe and Seaham stations.
People can be seen running across the tracks, taking shortcuts, and using the railway for photo shoots, putting their lives in significant danger.
Chloe Creffield, Network Rail’s community safety manager in the North and East, said: “The railway is an incredibly dangerous place and people who trespass are putting themselves at risk and breaking the law.
“We urge people to remember the consequences of trespassing and the devastating impact it can have on themselves, their family, passengers and the wider community, and train drivers. Closing the railway while we investigate incidents of trespass disrupts lives and also causes costly delays for passengers.
“Ahead of the summer holidays, we hope the CCTV footage will remind the public to think of their own safety and see that trespassing on the railway can be life-threatening.”
Nationally, statistics show that on average at least two people risk their lives on the railway every hour.
This summer, the rail industry will continue to educate people living in near high-risk areas about the dangers of railway trespass using the story of Harrison Ballantyne.
He was 11 when he lost his life after straying unauthorised onto the railway.