Media centre

Wednesday 2 Jul 2025

Railway safety campaign launches as accidental deaths hit five-year high and 28 near misses across Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Wiltshire

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

• Public urged to stay safe as accidental deaths on rail network rise by 26% compared to last year
• 28 near misses at level crossings took place on Network Rail’s Wessex route, which connects London with Hampshire, Dorset and Devon via Surrey and Wiltshire
• New hard-hitting safety films feature first responders sharing the devastating physical and emotional impacts of railway accidents
•  Network Rail and British Transport Police campaign targets unsafe behaviour around tracks and level crossings as the summer holidays approach

Powerful new safety films will be seen across Britain this summer as Network Rail and the British Transport Police launch a campaign to tackle rising unsafe behaviour around the rail network.

Twenty-four people lost their lives in preventable accidents on the railway last year - a five-year high. Five of those lives were lost at level crossings, while the other 19 were a result of crossing the railway at unauthorised locations.

Working with the emergency services and film industry professions, two new safety films have been made that create a powerful emotional impact by showing the real consequences of unsafe behaviour through the experiences of those who witness the aftermath. One explores the emotional impact on families when loved ones have been badly injured on the railway, while the second features an NHS trauma specialist explaining the catastrophic injuries caused by getting hit by a train.

With the summer holidays approaching, the campaign urges everyone to stay off tracks, observe warning signs, and use level crossings safely. It particularly highlights the dangers of distraction from mobile phones when around the railway.

Across the Wessex route, which connects London with Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon, there were 28 near misses with trains at level crossings, one of those involving a vehicle. Earlier this year, a new accessible footbridge at Farnborough North station opened simultaneously with the closure of the adjacent level crossing to pedestrians. While the crossing remains open to motorists, the new footbridge is fully accessible with lifts to both platforms and provides a safe and accessible way for pedestrians to cross the tracks as well as reducing the risk associated with level crossings.

Nationally, Pedestrians were involved in 457 of the 467 near misses with trains at level crossings last year.  Research by Network Rail has revealed that distraction by mobile phones is likely to be a contributing factor in some of those events.

As well as the risk to lives, safety incidents involving the public have a serious impact on train performance. Last year in excess of a million minutes of delays to train services were caused as a result of people straying onto the railway tracks.

In August last year, Ryan Seymour, 41, trespassed onto the South West Main Line at New Malden in South West London in a bid to evade police. The line connects London Waterloo, one of Britain’s busiest stations, with destinations in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Surrey and Wiltshire.

In total, 921 train services were impacted, with 358 completely cancelled and parts of 81 other services cancelled. 13,178 minutes of delays were accumulated, the equivalent of nine days. These delays cost Network Rail, and the taxpayer, £1.2 million.

At Kingston Crown Court in February, Seymour was jailed for eight months for intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance through the act of trespassing onto the railway, and 10 months for dangerous driving, with the two sentences to run consecutively.

Paul Langley, Head of Security, Crime and Resilience, Southern Region at Network Rail said: “If you are using the railway, you have to be fully alert to your surroundings. Every fatality on the railway is a tragedy and the main focus of our work is to ensure that our railway is safe for staff, passengers, pedestrians and road users that come into contact with the network.

“Unlike a human that can stop abruptly while walking, trains need the length of several football pitches to come to a stop. Only cross the railway at safe locations and, when doing so, remove all distractions so you can stop, look and listen. Only when you have determined that it is safe to cross, should you do so and you should cross the railway efficiently and safely.

“The Southern region is powered by the electric ‘third’ rail and it is always on. If you come into contact with the electric rail it will hold you in its grip and cause death or severe injury. It is just not worth the risk.

Priti Patel, Chief Health, Safety ＆ Wellbeing Officer at Network Rail said: "These figures are deeply concerning and it is heartbreaking to know that twenty-four people did not make it home due to circumstances that were entirely preventable." Every one of these deaths is a tragedy that devastates families and communities."

“All we ask is that people ensure that they pay attention when they find themselves in a rail setting. Only cross at safe, designated locations such as bridges or level crossings and when you are using them, give them your full attention. The situations shown in our campaign films are real. Please don’t let them become true for you or your loved ones.”

Chief Inspector Adam Swallow, British Transport Police, added: “Every year, my emergency services colleagues and I are faced with the awful consequences of preventable railway accidents. And we don’t just respond, we remember too. Behind every statistic is a real person - a life needlessly lost or irreversibly changed and a family left devastated.

“The number of near misses is a stark reminder about why this campaign is so vital. These films are grounded in real-life experiences and show the terrible impact of a moment’s distraction or misjudgement.

“As the summer holidays begin and more people are out and about, including teenagers and younger children, we’re asking everyone to treat the railway with the seriousness and respect it demands; stay alert, avoid distractions, and never cross except at designated points. It could save your life, or someone else’s.

“I’d encourage people to save 61016 into their phones and text us if they need us. In an emergency always dial 999.”

Jane Lupson, Safety and Security Director at South Western Railway, commented: “It’s shocking and saddening to see the rise in accidental deaths and the number of near misses across the network. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and leaves loved ones devastated.

“Safety is always our number one priority, and we hope these powerful new films will serve of a stark reminder of how serious the consequences of trespass and distraction can be.

“We urge everyone to always remain alert while on the network, particularly at level crossings and around the electrified third rail.”

For more information on railway safety and to view the new films, visit http://www.youvstrain.co.uk

Guidance on how to use level crossings safely can be found here: Level crossing safety - Network Rail.