Pictured | Trespasser playing ‘chicken’ on railway line in Southport

Pictured | Trespasser playing ‘chicken’ on railway line in Southport

Rail links were thrown into chaos last night after a young man was spotted on snapchat trespassing on the Southport to Manchester line near to Forest Road (Tuesday 1 August 2017).

Images of the male confidently strolling along the live track in between services have now been passed on to British Transport Police who are investigating the issue as a matter of urgency.

It’s believed the photos were originally taken by a friend as the duo boasted to their social media followers of the reckless act.

Services between Southport and Meols Cop were immediately suspended but by the time British Transport officers arrived at where they believed the images were taken, the pair had fled the scene.

The number of people putting their lives at risk on train tracks has hit a ten year high, with more than 500 children trespassing on railway lines last year, latest figures show.

According to the recent stats from Network Rail, more than 8,000 incidents of people on the tracks were recorded just last year, 555 of which involved children and half of those killed on the track were under the age of 25.

Stats revealed that 40% of those climbing onto the railways are risking their lives for that same reason – to save time – while nearly a fifth named thrill-seeking as their main motivation for committing the crime.

The figures showed that while being struck by a train was the main cause of trespasser deaths, 17% of fatalities died from electrocution and a further 11% were killed by the fall onto or near the railway.