No Messin'!

The railway is not a safe place for children & young people to play and it is not safe for adults to take short cuts across it because:

  • Trains cannot stop quickly – in fact, they can take up to the length of 20 football pitches
  • Trains can drag you under their wheels if you are standing next to the tracks because of wind turbulence
  • The trains are powered by electricity and it is never switched off – not even on Christmas day
  • Electricity on overhead power lines can jump & arc so you don’t have to touch them to be killed or injured
  • The “third rail” is really an electricity line. The current is so strong that if you touch the rail, you will stick to it like glue & never get up again.

If you trespass or vandalise on the railway –

the maximum fine is £1,000
the maximum penalty is death.

British Transport Police
0800 40 50 40

Trespassing & Vandalism

Trespass & vandalism on the railway are real crimes.

Every year, people are killed and injured because they are trespassing or vandalising the railway.

There are more than 28 million incidents of trespass on the railway every year and 11 million of them are committed by the under 16s. The results are heart-breaking. Sixty people are killed and many more are horribly injured every year (on average).

What is trespassing on the railway?

Only certain parts of the railway are open to members of the public. Of course, you can go on the stations, platforms and safe crossing places – underpasses, public bridges, level crossings & public foot crossings.

But you will be trespassing if you go on to the railway tracks, the embankments or any other area – for any reason at any time. The only exception is if you are told to go on the tracks by railway staff or the emergency services (for example – if your train breaks down & you need to walk along the tracks to the nearest station).

You are trespassing on the railway and putting your life in danger if you:

  • Take a short cut across the train tracks
  • Jump off the platform to pick up your newspaper or a dropped shoe
  • Chase after your cat or dog when they go on the tracks.
What is vandalism on the railway?

Vandalism is when someone deliberately damages railway property. Common types of vandalism on the railway include graffiti, litter, flytipping and breaking & damaging railway property (such as fences, bridges, signs & tracks).

Who commits trespass & vandalism

Much of the trespassing & vandalism is done by 8 – 16 year old boys but children as young as five years old have been found playing on the tracks. The other big group of trespassers are adults who use the railway as a shortcut.

Penalties for trespass & vandalism

Trespassing & vandalising on the railway is a criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £1,000. Graffiti is also a serious crime which can result in a prison sentence.

How we try to prevent trespass & vandalism on the railway

Network Rail works hard to tell young people about the dangers of trespass & vandalism. We have two websites specifically about railway crime - the No Messin’! website for young people and the Trackoff website for teachers & parents. We also run & support a lot of community activities, including school visits, safety centres, diversionary activities & communications programmes. In areas with lots of trespassing & vandalism, we will replace existing fences with more secure fences to make it more difficult to access the railway.

If you would like to get involved, please send an email to Network Rail at contact@no-messin.com.

What to do if you know about trespass or vandalism

If you see someone on the railway tracks, please call the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or the Police on 999.

More information
What to do if you have a problem caused by the railway or have more questions

If you have a problem caused by trespass & vandalism or any other part of the railway or if you simply want more information, please contact the National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41.