The viral video of a young woman walking across the path of a train in Murarrie Station back in May 2022 was among the footage shown by Queensland Rail as part of its new safety campaign.
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The young woman almost faced death as she walked across the path to hand something to a man who was on the other side of a platform. This incident, captured by CCTV, contributes to the rising cases of railway trespassing incidents in the State, which led Queensland Rail to release the footage.
The new safety campaign called A Hole Lot Of Regret, targets all trespassers, but particularly teenagers.
Queensland Rail Senior Manager Security and Emergency Preparedness Drew Brock revealed that the common motives for trespassing include taking short-cuts across railway tracks and between station platforms as well anti-social behaviour such as vandalism.
Mr Brock said there were nearly three thousand trespassing incidents (2913) on the Queensland Rail network in the last financial year (2021/2022).
“Our message is clear: Stay off the tracks! Trespassing is not worth risking your life,” Mr Brock said in a media statement.
“The number of people who trespass on the network is extremely concerning and has increased from last year, which is why Queensland Rail is urging customers to keep safety at the forefront of their minds.”
Mr Brock revealed that in the last financial year, trespassing incidents resulted in 3,006 delays to their train services in South East Queensland.
Trains on the network can travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour, can take up to two kilometres to stop, and can’t swerve to avoid cars or people.
“Please think not only about yourself but about the impact your behaviour is having on others who need to get to work, school and appointments on time,” he said.
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Queensland Rail hoped the campaign would serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of the unsafe behaviour, which not only puts lives at risk but causes thousands of delays to train passengers each year.
