Rail Safety

Safety Message from Network Rail to Parents and Carers

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have been identified as areas of concern due to the increasing levels of risk taking by children and young people around the railway network. In these areas we have reports of children young people sitting on platforms with their legs dangling over the edge, jumping on top of trains, running across the live tracks and climbing onto railway bridges to jump into rivers below. We are really concerned for the safety of young people from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.  Some children and young people locally have already died or received life-changing injuries as a result of taking these risks.

We are working with the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership and schools in the area to ensure that young people are aware of the range of risks associated with the railway.  help us to keep your children safe. A simple chat about how to stay safe on the railway could be all it takes to ensure that no more young lives are lost or damaged through accidents on the railway.

www.youvstrain.co.uk is a great place to start – you will find facts about the dangers associated with the railway and real-life video stories from young people who have made a mistake around the railway, are dealing with the consequences and the impact of this on families. This includes Tegan’s story, a video filmed in Bournemouth.

Please look at these resources and talk to your children and young people about the dangers of the railway. Help us to keep them safe.