Two people caught ‘relaxing’ on railway track

Police have been informed after two people were caught seemingly relaxing on a railway track near the Midlands. Network Rail Western shared a picture on Twitter which appears to show one of the pair sitting directly on a track in Gloucestershire. The picture, from just before 6pm on April 15, shows another individual next to the track, behind a sign which reads: 'Stop Look Listen'.

Network Rail Western issued a warning to the public alongside the photo, saying lives are not worth risking for a photo. Network Rail West tweeted earlier today: "138 trains a day travel at 100mph on this track in Gloucestershire. In just over two seconds, a 100mph train will cover the length of a football field.

''Your life is not worth risking for a photo. This is now in the hands of the British Transport Police." Several people were horrified by the pair's actions, with one person responding: "I don't get why anyone would be like that track would be a nice place to sit."

In other transport news, the cause of a crash at Cotswolds Airport which saw a plane narrowly miss ploughing into other aircraft has been revealed in a report[2]. The dramatic incident unfolded during a flying lesson last August when the plane, a Piper PA-28-140, overshot the runway and then passed between two out of use airliners, with its right wing tip even striking one of the parked aircraft. It then passed through the airfield perimeter fence, crossed the A429 road and then finally ended up in a ditch.

A recent report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has revealed the crash was caused by a "confused handover of control between student and instructor" during an attempted go-around that led to the aircraft flying at a very low height with insufficient power to climb away. Got a story in Birmingham or elsewhere in the West Midlands? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

References

1. ^ Reason for dramatic Cotswolds plane crash revealed (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ has been revealed in a report (www.birminghammail.co.uk)