A NEW campaign has been launched to tackle trespassing on the railways following a huge surge in incidents across the region.

Latest figures show that last year, the number of reports rocketed by 72 per cent following the easing of national lockdown restrictions in the summer.

There were 216 reported incidents in this region between July and December, compared to 125 during the same period the previous year.

And the sharpest rise was in the under-18s age group.

Now Network Rail and British Transport Police have renewed efforts to highlight the dangers.

Parents are being urged to discuss rail safety with their children ahead of the clocks changing this weekend and the Easter holidays.

Also, a new safety film has been streamed into schools by Network Rail education partner LearnLive.

Campaign organisers fear that with the arrival of spring and the relaxation of lockdown regulations in the coming weeks and months, incidents could increase again.

Dawn Sweeting, community safety manager with Network Rail, said: “We’ve done so much in the past few years to raise awareness of the dangers of trespassing through campaigns such as You vs Train – and numbers were reducing.

“Trespassing on the railway is extremely dangerous and can have life-changing or even fatal consequences. Trains cannot slow down quickly or swerve out of the way and people should never hang around on the railway.

“We’re asking families across the region to sit down with their loved ones and hammer home the dangers of stepping onto the track.”

The message is echoed by British Transport Police.

Superintendent Alison Evans said: “We often warn families at this time of year as the evenings get lighter and children prepare to enjoy school holidays. However, this year our concerns are more acute, especially as we are not able to get into schools ourselves to pass this message onto children directly. Trespassing on the railway can have life-changing consequences for the individual, their loved ones and the wider community. Please make sure you know the rail safety basics and pass that knowledge onto your loved ones. Lead by example and stay off the tracks.”

A spokesman for Northern, which operates services on the Airedale line, said: “People who trespass or commit crime on the railway not only cause disruption, they put their own lives at serious risk as well as the lives of passengers and staff travelling on trains.

“It is an ongoing problem for the rail industry with people tragically losing their lives each year by taking short cuts across or playing on the tracks.”

For safety advice, visit youvstrain.co.uk.