A safety warning and appeal has been launched by East Midlands Railway following a series of incidents involving trains in Derbyshire.

During May, three trains struck shopping trolleys that were left on the line.

On the 8th May, around 22:36, a freight train struck a shopping trolley on the tracks. Thankfully, the driver made the repairs on site and the service could carry on.

On the 9th May, a shopping trolley in the same area was struck by a passenger train. This resulted in significant damage to the train and disrupted nine trains, totalling 131 minutes of delay.

On the 10th May, a train struck another shopping trolley neat the Caxton Street footbridge in Sunny Hill. Two children, aged 8-9 years old, were seen trespassing in the area.

The shopping trolley was lodged under the train and the journey had to be terminated.

A pushchair was also found thrown onto the tracks from the Caxton Street Footbridge.

only have the potential to endanger lives but also lead to trains being damaged, delayed, and services being cancelled.

“Even though we are putting in place a number of measures to help address the issue, the public can also play a really important part.

“We are asking parents and guardians to educate their children about the dangers of playing near the railways or placing objects on them.

“To the wider general public, if they see any items being thrown at trains or someone placing items on the track, they should contact British Transport Police immediately by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40.”

Lucy Gallacher, Emergency Planning Manager at East Midlands Railway