Warning to stay off rail tracks in north Northants as electrification goes live

Parents asked to speak to children about railway dangers
This class 90 locomotive was seen at Corby yesterday checking gaugingThis class 90 locomotive was seen at Corby yesterday checking gauging
This class 90 locomotive was seen at Corby yesterday checking gauging

Network Rail have launched a hard-hitting campaign to warn people to stay off railway tracks as the midlands mainline finally becomes electrified.

Flyers have been posted in Corby to tell people that, from Saturday, April 11, the tracks will be switched ‘on’ and will have 25,000 volts running through overhead cables along them.

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Work has been ongoing for several years to electrify the line and new safety fencing has been placed along the line to try to keep people off the tracks.

These flyers have been posted locallyThese flyers have been posted locally
These flyers have been posted locally

The first electrified test trains will start running in the next few weeks and a class 90 electric train was spotted at Corby station yesterday (April 3) that was believed to be checking the gauge. A new timetable with twice hourly trains from Corby to London will be implemented in December.

Now Network Rail is urging parents and carers in Northamptonshire to hammer home railway safety messages as schools across Britain will be closed for some time.

Incidents of trespass on the railway always spike when children are not at school, so parents are urged to remind their children to keep off the tracks as trespassing on the railway is incredibly dangerous and can have horrendous consequences for children and their families.

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Last year, there were 19 recorded instances of trespass in Northampton alone. More than 13,500 trespass incidents occur on the rail network each year, a quarter of which involve youths.

This image is part of Network Rails campaign.This image is part of Network Rails campaign.
This image is part of Network Rails campaign.

As part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, Network Rail is electifying the route between London to Kettering and Corby via Bedford. Overhead line equipment carries 25,000 volts of electricity- enough to kill anyone coming into contact with it.

Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail said: “The Easter holidays are the start of the peak for railway trespass and with schools now closed for an extended period, I’m really, really worried that the railway will become an irresistible but catastrophic playground for too many children.

“Each year, we see hundreds of people taking risks on and around the railway, resulting in tragic consequences and life-changing injuries.

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“Please talk to your children, access our free school railway safety lessons and help us to help save young people as we know all too well that that everyone loses when you step on the track.”

Network Rail and British Transport Police run a safety campaign – You Vs Train, which highlights the devasting consequences of trespassing on the railway.

With the early closure of schools, the organisations are offering parents the opportunity to sign up for free online tutorials of the You vs Train railway safety lessons, which are normally broadcast into schools via their educational partner LearnLive; visit this link for more details.

Important messages for parents and carers to share with children:

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The rail network is never switched off. Electricity powers the overhead cables and third rail 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The rail network does not go to sleep once the last passenger services have run. Freight trains run all through the night.

Never anticipate that you know when the next train is due. The reduced number of passenger trains running on the network during the day will allow more freight services to operate during the daytime hours, transporting vital goods around the country. A freight train can travel at up to 100mph