Media centre

Thursday 1 Apr 2004

EASTER WARNING TO CHILDREN TO KEEP OFF THE LINES

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail is urging children to take care during the Easter holidays and keep way from the railway lines. And to back up the message, radio advertisements warning about the dangers of trespassing on the lines are running on Vibe FM, which broadcasts to Avon and South Wales. In the Great Western region, Bristol and Cardiff are the areas worse affected by railway crime. Nancy Garcia, Network Rail’s route crime manager, said: “Action is being taken throughout the year to tackle the problem of railway crime, the majority of which is perpetrated by young people. School holidays can be a particular problem because children have more opportunity to stray on to the line.  However, our message is clear: the railway lines are not a place to play and anyone trespassing on them is putting not only their own life at risk but those of the people travelling by train.” There are seven different advertisements running, six created last spring for a similar campaign and one new one about boys playing ‘chicken’ on the line. Network Rail is urging anybody witnessing an incidence of railway crime – including trespass and vandalism – to phone the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40. -more- Railway crime – 2 The latest figures for railway crime in the region show: Route crime Thames Valley (including Reading) West Country (including Bristol) South Wales & the Marches (including Cardiff) Total 2002/03 207 589 546 1,342 2003/04 237 476 444 1,157             Nancy said: “The overall trend for railway crime is falling but even one incident of trespass is too many when the risks involved are taken into consideration.”