Teenager plays ‘game of chicken’ with train going at 100mph

A reckless teen was caught on CCTV standing in the path of a fast-moving train until he was just inches from being hit.

The unknown male, dressed in a navy tracksuit and a hood, played the dangerous game at a pedestrian level crossing near Diss station, South Norfolk.

The footage was captured on CCTV earlier this month, showing him blatantly ignoring the red ‘stop’ light warning.

He then walks up to the edge of the tracks and looks towards an approaching train, waiting until the last second before pulling away as the Greater Anglia train whizzes past.

It is clear from the speed of the train that it would not have been able to stop if something had gone wrong.

Network Rail has told people to avoid taking risks at level crossings after the video emerged.

In the last 12 months alone, there have been eight deaths at level crossings in the UK.

One of them happened in the Anglia region, which also saw 51 near-misses in the past year.

Shenel Bullock, Network Rail Anglia’s health and safety manager, said: ‘The young person in the CCTV video came to no harm thankfully, and we wanted to share the footage to highlight just one example of the incredibly dangerous behavior that we see all too often on level crossings.

‘Whether it’s taking selfies, filming dances or playing games, the risk of death or life-changing injury is simply too high.

‘Please don’t take the chance, even if it seems like you’re in control, because one tiny misjudgement or slip could easily lead to tragic consequences.

‘Other times, people can simply be distracted when approaching a level crossing, looking at their screen or wearing headphones, but this equally could be a fatal mistake.

‘I urge everyone to pay full attention as they approach crossings, read instructions carefully and always respect locked gates, barriers, lights and alarms.’

Matthew Wakefield, a safety director at Greater Anglia, said: ‘Safety is our priority on the railway. Stepping onto the tracks could result in life-changing injuries or death.

‘We encourage people to be vigilant and take care when they are close to the railway, as fast trains take a long time to stop. Adherence to the rules and correct use of crossings is extremely important.

‘Please follow the rules, cross with care, and never take any risks.’

Level crossings regularly claim lives after hitting cars.

In July, an Amazon delivery van driver was killed after a high-speed train struck the vehicle in Kent.

The van went up in a fireball after the train running on the Canterbury East and Victoria route rammed into it at the level crossing near the hamlet of Tonge.

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