Queensland, Rail industry news (Australia, New Zealand)

Public urged ‘not to play chicken with a train’ after 197 close calls

Queensland Rail has issued an urgent warning to the public not to “play chicken with a train” after 3845 incidents of trespassing on the tracks took place in South East Queensland last year.  

The worrying behaviour led to 197 close calls, risking the safety of the trespasser as well as rail customers and Queensland Rail employees.  

Many of these near misses were captured on camera by Queensland Rail, with the video below showing people cutting corners over the tracks to catch a train, jumping off the platform to retrieve dropped items, and chatting on the tracks as a train comes dangerously close.  

In one clip a person jumps across one set of tracks only to narrowly miss being struck by a train coming in the other direction, while in another a person jumps onto the tracks to retrieve a skateboard that has fallen.  

Senior Manager of Security and Emergency Preparedness Drew Brock has urged the community to make safe choices around the rails, saying that “tracks are not playgrounds”.  

He continued: “The consequences of being on the tracks when a train comes can be horrific – there’s no room for error and no excuse for trespassing. 

“Some of the common excuses we hear for trespassing include using the tracks as a short cut, retrieving dropped items as well anti-social behaviour such as vandalism. 

“Stay off the tracks, allow plenty of time to get to your train, and if you drop an item from the platform speak to station staff who will arrange to have it retrieved safely.”

He added that close calls are traumatic for train drivers, station staff and customers, but they are entirely preventable.  

“We want everyone, including our train drivers and customers, to get home safely.” 

Risky behaviour around the tracks is not only life-threatening, but illegal, and with more than 12,000 CCTV cameras on the network, a dedicated team of Railway Squad officers, Security and Emergency teams, authorised officers and private security guards, Queensland Rail said the chances of getting caught are high. 

To report unsafe behaviour on the rail network, members of the public can tell Queensland Rail staff where available, press the help buttons on trains and platforms or call triple zero in an emergency. 

Those caught trespassing on the rail network can be fined $322 on the spot or face criminal charges.