Remind your children about railway safety and the dangers of trespassing

Incidents of trespass on the railway always spike when children are not at school, so parents are urged to remind their children to keep off the tracks as trespassing on the railway is incredibly dangerous and can have horrendous consequences for children and their families.

Last year, there were 12 recorded instances of trespass in Nottingham. More than 13,500 trespass incidents occur on the rail network each year, a quarter of which involve young people.

Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail, said: “The Easter holidays are the start of the peak for railway trespass and with schools now closed for an extended period, I’m really, really worried that the railway will become an irresistible but catastrophic playground for too many children.

“Each year, we see hundreds of people taking risks on and around the railway, resulting in tragic consequences and life-changing injuries.

“Please talk to your children, access our free school railway safety lessons and help us to help save young people as we know all too well that that everyone loses when you step on the track.”

Network Rail and British Transport Police run a hard-hitting safety campaign, You Vs Train, which highlights the devasting consequences of trespassing on the railway.

With the early closure of schools, the organisations are offering parents the opportunity to sign up for free online tutorials of the You vs Train railway safety lessons, which are normally broadcast into schools via their educational partner LearnLive.