The British Transport Police have teamed up with Network Rail once again to issue a warning after a number of trespass incidents in Dawlish, Devon.
Network Rail is working on the new sea wall in Dawlish and has closed a footpath whilst work takes place. A temporary route has however been put in place between Dawlish and Dawlish Warren.
The latest warning follows on from a previous warning back in April
Since the footpath was closed, a number of incidents have seen people climbing on the all and walking next to the railway, where trains pass at up to 75mph.
In May, 18 incidents happened on the line and multiple people were caught on camera in the past few weeks.
In one of the instances, a person climbed on the wall with a dog (not on a lead) and caused a train to make an emergency stop.
Other incidents have seen people fall off the wall and need assistance to get off the tracks.
The BTP and Network Rail are now urging people to stay off the tracks.
Embedded Inspector Darren Burridge from British Transport Police said: “We see hundreds of people taking risks on and around the railway every year, resulting in tragic consequences or life-changing injuries. Both outcomes are avoidable.
“Our network of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers, and over 150,000 CCTV cameras, monitor the railway 24/7 – we will actively pursue and take positive action against those who fail to comply with the simple instruction not to trespass.”
Alison Kramer, Community Safety Manager for Network Rail’s Western route, said: “During the half term holidays at the end of May, Network Rail staff spent the week on the sea wall talking to visitors about the work, explaining the diversion route and providing everyone with maps, so I am appalled that this type of reckless behaviour is still happening.
“The diversion adds a few minutes onto the time it takes to walk between Dawlish and Dawlish Warren, is it really worth risking yours and other people’s lives for the sake of a few minutes?
“The diversion route is there to ensure the safe running of the railway and we urge everyone to observe it. I encourage anyone who may witness acts of illegal trespassing to report it the British Transport Police”
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Responses
These people will spoil the sea wall for the rest of us as we will finish up with ugly railings between the walkway and the tracks like the ones on the other side of Dawlish station
Why publish the trespassing at Dawlish in a website aimed at railway enthusiasts. The people are not enthusiasts. The trespass incidents should be on TV or national press with faces clearly shown. Trespass here is almost a daily occurance and both I and neighbors have photographs to prove it. Alll of which are forwarded to Network Rail. The situation will only get worse with the Influx of holiday makers. British Transport Police need to have someone in Dawlish for the next two months and should prosecute these idiots.
We have reported it here on RailAdvent as railway trespass is an ongoing problem and the action taken to prevent it can affect the railway enthusiast community.
In addition RailAdvent is a provider of news to Google and Bing for their news and discover pages, and they use news stories like this in their local news sections.
Never the punters.
What about the drivers and the squad that cleans up these same punters.
Charge the families for cleaning up and delays.
By the way NR how long does all this construction take.
Is it a job never ending??
It is no good the BTP giving a warning stern or otherwise, they need to start prosecuting these people for the full penalty and then putting it in the press both national and local. Chuck in a few photos of people who have been hit just to ram home the stupidity.
Will it happen? Of course not! BTP are toothless tigers. I want to be proved wrong.
I’m saddened how people are risking their lives and putting other lives at risk including running so close to the busy railway tracks. This is why we have got such mindless human beings about taking the risk and ending up getting injured or killed on the railways.
And adding to more disruptions and cancellations to train services which halts other services causing massive delays. This will not go away. Only to see them being caught on CCTV and being named and shamed for what they have done.