MADNESS: football on railway line

A group of teenage boys playing football on the Ballymoney railway line.
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This is just one of the incredibly dangerous incidents being highlighted by Translink after the transport body revealed its annual prosecution figures for safety related incidents.

A spokesperson for Translink said that the football incident came to their attention in June when the route manager was reviewing CCTV footage regarding a separate incident. There was a group of 6-7 youths aged around 14 or 15 playing football on the tracks.

“We alerted the neighbourhood police who began patrolling the area.”

In another incident in Coleraine, a member of the public spotted three people on the line at Shell Hill Bridge around 6.25pm on June 4 this year and tweeted in the picture to Translink’s contact centre, who advised NIR Control.

The spokesperson said: “A caution was imposed on trains travelling along this stretch of track, meaning they reduced their speed. Once they could see that the track was clear, they were able to travel at normal speed, so the caution was lifted at 6.52pm.”

The details of local trespassing comes after Translink revealed its annual prosecution figures for safety related incidents, having made prosecutions against 74 individuals over the past 12 months, at a total cost to offenders of over £14,000.

Richard Knox, Head of Network Operations, Translink, said, “In the past year, NI Railways employees based around the rail network have reported some major risk taking by pedestrians, including a group of youths playing a football match on the tracks near Ballymoney station. We are working more closely than ever with colleagues in the PSNI to ensure that risk takers are identified,” said Mr Knox.

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