Jaw-dropping moment toddler left standing on train tracks at level crossing as dad 'takes phone call'
13 October 2022, 12:39
Network Rail releases footage of people including father and toddler lingering on level crossing in Nottinghamshire
Network Rail have released shocking footage showing the moment a toddler is left standing in the middle of the train tracks while the father appears to take a call on his mobile phone.
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In the clip the man can be seen standing next to the railway with his phone to his ear.
Meanwhile the child stands in the middle of the line, seemingly oblivious to the danger.
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The father does appear to briefly glance at the line as if checking whether any trains are coming, but appears unconcerned.
The footage of the level crossing at Chestnut Grove in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, was labelled "worrying" by Network Rail.
It also features other heartstopping moments on the crossing.
In one clip, a trio of teenagers can be seen playing on the lines.
Another shows a near miss for a dog walker, who has to speed up his crossing at the sound of a train horn.
Network Rail says incidents like these suggest Brits are unaware of the dangers of busy railway lines.
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In the year 2020-21, five people died on level crossings in the UK.
Four were pedestrians getting hit by passenger trains, three of which were on footpath crossings like in Burton Joyce.
The fifth was a collision between a cyclist and a road vehicle.
The number of pedestrian fatalities has increased for the last two years, although it is still below the peak of 11 in 2003-04.
Anna Ebblewhite, Level Crossing Manager for Network Rail, said: "We've seen some incredibly worrying behaviour at Burton Joyce level crossing, which shows just how unaware some residents are of how dangerous the railway can be."
The operator is delivering a safety session this Saturday to inform residents of how to keep safe on the level crossing.
