THIS is the horror moment a girl runs directly into the path of a speeding train.
The nail-biting clip shows a Southern train zooming past, barely missing the young pedestrian who was walking over a level crossing.
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She and another pedestrian, who appears to be an older person carrying a shopping bag, run for their lives, narrowly escaping a horrific fate.
The clip, taken earlier this year, was shared by Network Rail as it issued a stark warning about misusing level crossings.
The rail operator said in July there were 466 incidents of level crossing misuse and 28 near misses across their Wessex route in the 2023-24 financial year.
Level crossings are one of the biggest public safety risks on the railway, Network Rail says.
There are nearly 6,000 of them on the rail network across England, Wales and Scotland, and as many as 1,300 crossings have been closed since 2009.
But this is not “always a realistic option” because they play an important role in enabling communities to cross the railway safely, Network Rail said.
The infrastructure giant previously launched its ‘Distracted? You’ve Crossed the Line’ safety campaign.
It aims to positively encourage young adults aged 18-34 to take responsibility for their own personal safety and avoid distractions when using a level crossing.
Sam Pead, Network Rail’s Southern region level crossing manager, said in July: “While our railway is one of the safest in Europe, its critical people understand the dangers and potential consequences of misusing level crossings.
“It’s important to remember that some of the dangers on the railway aren’t always visible.
“Across the Southern region trains can travel as fast as 140mph and are largely powered by the third rail which carries more than enough electricity to kill or seriously injure and is always on.
“It’s frustrating we continue to see people recklessly risking their lives when crossing the railway.
“We work exceptionally hard alongside our partners to educate people about the dangers of the railway and with the start of school summer holidays, we’re urging children and their parents to respect the railway, stay safe and remain vigilant when crossing the railway.”
Marcia Burnett, Network Rail’s Wessex route Community Safety Manager, added: “Throughout the school year we work incredibly hard to educate young people so they understand how they can keep themselves safe around the rail network.
“Since the school education programme began in 2018 we have spoken to over 125,000 young people across the Wessex route about rail safety.
“The aim of the programme is to ensure young people have the correct information about the rail network so that they can make the right choices and keep themselves safe, particularly over the school holidays when we see risk taking increase.”
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