Fresh warnings about rail trespass as new electric cable equipment 'can be fatal 9 times out of 10'
Video report by Richard Morgan
There are fresh warnings about the risks posed by overhead electric cables on the railways, with Transport for Wales (TfW) warning that contact with the equipment can be "fatal nine times out of ten."
Figures from TfW reveal there were 1,000 incidents of trespass and anti-social behaviour on the core valley lines in the last two years, with 73% of incidents involving people aged under 17.
The ongoing project to electrify the line means the risks of trespass don't just come from the trains themselves.
Paul Lawrence, a train driver with TfW, described an incident where a 14-year-old boy had a near-miss – and was fortunate the power wasn't turned on.
"My incident happened at Porth railway station," Paul said.
"In this situation the young boy did climb the overhead line equipment, he climbed up the gantry post which supports the lines, and he did try to touch them unfortunately.
"Luckily for us the lines were new on the valleys and they hadn't been energised yet.
"Fortunately he was OK after the incident, we managed to get him on the train and the British Transport Police came and escorted him off the railway."
The overhead cables carry 25,000 volts of electricity.
Lois Park, from TfW, says simply coming too close to the equipment (within 2.75 metres) could prove deadly.
"The shock can be fatal nine times out of ten," she said.
"And the shock that you receive can be hot enough to ignite the victim's clothes and the victim themselves.
"So it's a really dangerous risk that people are taking if they go beyond that railway boundary."
The traditional risks posed by straying onto the railway tracks continue to apply.
CCTV from around Wales shows near-misses featuring trespassers, with youngsters sometimes deliberately jumping out of the way as a speeding train approaches.
It’s something driver Rachel Walters has experienced up close.
By the time she saw two boys trying to climb off the tracks at Energlyn and Churchill Park Station in Caerphilly, it was too late to stop her train.
"I slammed the brake into emergency, I didn't think I was going to stop in time," Rachel remembers.
"But thankfully the boys managed to move out of the way in time. It has stayed with me.
"Every time I go through Energlyn I think of that incident."
Incidents of trespass were actually down over the last year – by 38%. But cases of anti-social behaviour – like throwing stones at trains – are up by 28%, with young people disproportionately represented in both groups.
For those following the rules, train travel has never been safer.
But in the busy summer months, it's another reminder that railways and risk-taking really don’t go together.
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