A number of worrying incidents were caught on camera at the crossing
CCTV footage from a level crossing in Nottinghamshire has caught the shocking moment a toddler was left unattended on the tracks.
The footage has sparked concern from rail bosses, with cameras catching several incidents of troubling behavior on the Chestnut Grove crossing in the village of Burton Joyce, near Nottingham.
The crossing is on the busy high-speed Nottingham to Lincoln line, which is used by around 70 trains every day travelling at 60-70mph.
In the footage, a toddler and a man are seen loitering on the tracks as they cross. The young child can then be seen standing in the middle of the line some feet away from the adult, the Nottingham Post reports.
Another excerpt sees three young girls appear to play on the track briefly and a group of people with pushchairs are shown crossing with a young child cycling on a bike ahead of them.
A further clip shows a man walking a dog hurriedly along the crossing as a train horn sounds in the distance
Network Rail has described the incidents as “worrying” and a three-hour safety course has been scheduled in the village for locals to learn how dangerous the crossing could be.
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.
“That’s why we’re delivering this interactive session to help residents understand how to use the crossing safely, and ultimately improve safety amongst the community.
The three-hour session will be held on October 15 and has been organised by East Midlands Railway, Nottingham County Council and the Burton Joyce Parish Council.
It will be held at Nelson Pub in Burton Joyce and start at 10am.
The aim of the session is to engage with the community and offer tips on how to stay safe around the railway. These tips include concentrating and crossing quickly, whilst keeping children close and dogs on a lead.
Laurence King, chairman of Burton Joyce Parish Council, said: “This is a very important issue for residents and visitors to the village. We are looking to work with Network Rail and others to understand the causes, improve public education, safety signage and infrastructure improvements, to significantly reduce the potential for unsafe behaviour and the consequent effect on rail staff and network operation”.
Councillor Mike Adams, of Gedling Borough Council, added: “Living in the village and using the railway crossings regularly for family walks by the river, we recognise its importance to our village. The risks being taken currently by some, while crossing the railway are frightening to see on the replays from the cameras on site.
“We risk losing this incredible asset if we don’t get better at using it. Please come along to the education day and help us all learn how to better protect the residents we all care about.”
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