Bingham railway trespass: EMR release footage of children playing on the tracks

Shocking footage has been released by East Midlands Railway (EMR) highlighting the dangerous behaviour of children playing near live railway lines at Bingham station.

The video shows children loitering and playing dangerously close to the railway tracks at the station in Nottinghamshire - which sits on a busy line between Grantham and Nottingham. 

Bingham Station has more than 50 trains passing through each day with some travelling at speeds of up to 60 mph.

The surveillance cameras recorded numerous incidents involving children risking their lives. These included actions such as playing on the lines and cutting across the tracks. One piece of footage shows a child retrieving one of his shoes which had been thrown onto the tracks by his friend.  

Lucy Gallacher, Emergency Planning Manager at East Midlands Railway, said: "These scenes are deeply worrying and clearly show that local kids in Bingham still don't understand how dangerous it is to trespass onto railway tracks.

"We are urging parents and guardians in the town to make sure their children know that playing on or near railway tracks can result in tragic and life changing consequences.

"Children need to understand the simple facts that trains can not swerve, nor can they stop suddenly. If you trespass onto the line you are putting you life at risk - its as simple as that.

"If you see someone trespassing on the railway, call 0800 40 50 40 or 999, or text 61016."

Joe Rowberry, Head of Safety, Health and Environment for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “We cannot stress strongly enough how dangerous trespassing on the railway is. Footage like this is hugely shocking and while our railway is one of the safest in the world, it is vital people understand the dangers because too many lives are being put at risk through their own actions.

“Network Rail works incredibly hard to try to educate people of the risks that the railway poses, and we will continue to work with industry partners to deliver this message. We also urge parents to talk to their children and remind them of the dangers of trespassing on the railway.”