Parent plonked TODDLER on live rail track to take picture

Parent who plonked TODDLER on live rail track to take the perfect picture is among reckless walkers caught taking SELFIES and videos for social media

  • Rail bosses blasted parents who put child on tracks for picture in North Wales
  • Pictures show the toddler sat on railway where trains pass through at 55mph
  • Network Rail has said pandemic has caused spike in ‘trackside selfie’ incidents 

Parents who sat a toddler on busy train tracks for the perfect selfie have been blasted by rail bosses.

The little girl was snapped by railway cameras as she sat on the level crossing wearing her navy coat and pink wellies.

Her family could then be seen taking a photo of the youngster – in the middle of the tracks at Harlech in Gwynedd, North Wales.

The level crossing sees passenger and freight trains zooming past at 55mph and has a collective risk rating as ‘high’.

Other pictures show various individuals, one with a professional camera, standing on the tracks for prolonged periods of time.

Rail bosses have blasted parents who put their toddler on train tracks so they could take a picture as the pandemic has seen a spike in the number of people taking similar pictures

Photos show others lying down and sitting on the same level crossing in Harlech, North Wales

Network Rail says the pandemic has seen a spike in incidents involving ‘trackside selfies’

Photos show older teenagers and adults lying down and sitting on the tracks at the level crossing in Wales. 

Rail officials have now warned against ‘extremely dangerous’ trackside selfies following the shocking image.

It comes after a boom in walkers posing for selfies on the rails – with photos and videos getting over 1million views on TikTok and Instagram.

In May, shocking images showed a teenage girl lying in the middle of a railway line where trains fly past at high speeds of 85mph.

The picture, captured by CCTV at a level crossing near Horsham in West Sussex last month, was shared by Network Rail to urge children to keep away from the tracks. 

The teenager appears to be casually using her mobile phone while another girl stands next to her, despite the incredible dangers of trains hurtling past at 85mph.

A shocking CCTV image taken a level crossing near Horsham in West Sussex last month shows a teenage girl lying in the middle of a railway line where trains hurtle past at 85mph

The children were spoken to by transport police officers, the railway company confirmed. 

Earlier this year, shocking CCTV footage showed a woman lying down at the Tidemills level crossing near Seaford, Sussex, while her friend took a picture.

Footage showed the pair hanging around by the tracks for around 50 seconds at the crossing where trains pass through at up to 70mph. The stunt was branded ‘unthinkably stupid’ by police.

Vandalism and trespassing on railway lines is illegal and people can be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine, according to National Rail. 

Network Rail said there had been 433 serious incidents reported across the country since the start of the pandemic.

During the whole of 2019, there were only four recorded incidents, with three recorded near misses. 

Pictured: Two women’s actions were branded ‘unthinkably stupid’ by British Transport Police after one lay down on a level crossing near Seaford, East Sussex, while another took a picture

It has joined with British Transport Police and Transport for Wales to launch a new campaign highlighting the dangers.

Insp Richard Powell, of BTP, said: ‘No photograph is worth the risk to you or the consequences for your family.

‘Messing around on level crossings – including lingering to take photos – is illegal and extremely dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine.’

Train driver Jody Donnelly, of TfW, said she and her colleagues deal with ‘hundreds of frightening and sometimes tragic occurrences at level crossings’.

She said: ‘People seem to think that the worst won’t happen to them – but if you’re caught short at a level crossing, it simply isn’t true.

‘Unlike cars, trains can take hundreds of metres to stop when travelling at top speed, meaning that a decision to nip across the tracks can be fatal.’

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