Highland railway trespassing incident on Far North Line sparks warnings from ScotRail and British Transport Police, and fears from locals of ‘accident waiting to happen’

Reckless railway line trespassers are being urged to act more responsibly after a fresh incident at the weekend.

British Transport Police officers were called to reports of someone on the railway tracks between the Invergordon and Fearn stations on Saturday night at around 9.40pm.

And local residents have hit out at the reckless actions of those responsible - with some claiming it’s happening “more often” and even “weekly”.

Taking to a local Facebook community group, an anonymous poster said: “Four teenagers were spotted on the active railway line at Arabella last night around 9.30pm, but this is not a one off occurrence and is happening weekly and more often between towns.

“The line from Inverness to Tain is incredibly busy, with trains coming through at close to 70mph. It you are on this line walking you have approximately two seconds to get yourself off the track once you see the train.”

They continued: “We’ve all been stupid teenagers, but genuinely it is a matter of time if this continued before someone gets hurt.”

Although ScotRail and the British Transport Police were unable to provide data that supported claims of the incidents becoming “weekly” or more frequent, it is not the first time that trespassers have been reported on the track in that area, with one taking place near Arabella last spring that also sparked public condemnation.

Confirming the latest incident on Saturday, a spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to the line near Fearn railway station at around 9.40pm on Saturday (May 17) following reports of a trespasser on the tracks.

“Officers attended and conducted a thorough search, however no trace was found."

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “Trespassing anywhere on the railway not only puts yourself in danger, it can also cause disruption to rail services, as well as putting others at risk of serious injury. We urge people to stay safe and stay off the tracks.”

The British Transport Police has echoed those comments, warning people of the dangers. They said: “Many young people look at the railway as an exciting place to be, but the absolute opposite is true. The rail network operates 24 hours a day with modern trains capable of travelling almost silently at speeds of up to 125mph, and keeping to one side of the track will not keep you safe as trains are wider than their rails.

“Parts of the network are electrified with 25,000 volts of electricity – the power running through overhead railway lines are 100 times stronger than your supply at home, and the electricity can jump so you don’t even need to touch a cable to be seriously injured. The electrified third rail looks like an ordinary rail, but it carries enough electricity to leave you with life-changing injuries or even kill you.

“All of these aspects make for an extremely dangerous environment that can easily leave people with devastating life-changing injuries or even result in death, and we urge parents and carers to have conversations with their loved ones about the dangers of playing or trespassing on the railway lines.”

They added that they and Network Rail had launched a campaign - You vs Train - warning people of the dangers. You can find out more at www.youvstrain.co.uk.