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Monday 4 Jul 2016

VIDEO: Adult and child in near-miss with train

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| National

| Eastern

| Southern

Network Rail has issued an urgent safety warning after an adult and child ran in front of a train travelling at up to 80mph yesterday (Sunday, 3 July).

The incident took place on the busy commuter route out of London Liverpool Street at a pedestrian level crossing near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. CCTV footage released by Network Rail shows an adult and child approach the crossing, looking in the direction of the train, before opening a safety gate and running across two sets of tracks, reaching safety just five seconds before the train arrived.

Mark Brunnen, head of level crossings at Network Rail said: “This is a shocking event which serves as an urgent warning for people to stop, look and listen when crossing the railway. Be extra vigilant on or near level crossings and never cross if you can see a train coming. It is difficult to judge a train’s speed - you have much less time than you think before the train is upon you.

“Network Rail is improving level crossing safety across Britain, investing more than £100m, but we need motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to do their bit too. By paying attention to the warnings at level crossings and avoiding distractions we can all keep ourselves out of harm’s way.”

Trains travelling on the section of line can reach speeds of up to 80mph. The incident left the train driver badly shaken.

Rates of people trespassing on the railway double over the school holidays compared to the winter months.

In addition to existing safety signage installed near the crossing, Network Rail’s community safety team have recently visited local schools in Hertfordshire, held awareness days and displayed posters reminding people to stop, look and listen. This is in addition to Network Rail’s ongoing national safety awareness campaigns which warn people of the dangers of misusing level crossings.