The railway is full of hidden dangers – if you don’t get hit by a train, the electrified third rail could kill you.
The third rail – which powers electric trains and is mostly found on tracks in the South East of England – carries 750 volts.
However, research shows a large proportion of young people remain unaware of its potentially fatal dangers.
Watch the new You vs. Train film about the third rail:
Figures published by Network Rail in May show police have recorded more than 250 incidents a week of people messing about on the railway – taking short-cuts, capturing photos and even ‘train surfing’ – sometimes with tragic consequences.
Young people (under 18s) make up one of the largest categories, responsible for a third of all cases.
Allan Spence, head of passenger and public safety at Network Rail, said: “Children, and adults alike, continue to risk their lives by going onto the track and it has to stop. Every day we see over three dozen incidents and each one could be a potential catastrophe leading to life-changing injuries or even death.”
The rail industry and British Transport Police launched the You vs. Train campaign last year. Since then, the number of incidents involving children fell by 12% but young people continue to put themselves at high risk.
The rail industry has launched a new phase of the You vs. Train campaign in response.
To watch the new video and find out how to keep your children safe on the railway visit: www.YouVsTrain.co.uk and follow #YouVsTrain on social media.
