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Archive
2008-06-02 HS1-001
HS1 Ltd
The wrong side of the track – prosecution highlights dangers of trespassing
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Press release
HS1 Ltd
The wrong side of the track – prosecution highlights dangers of trespassing
date 2 June 2008
source HS1 Ltd
type Press release
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London, 2 June 2008 - A man who trespassed onto the new high speed rail track (High Speed 1) in Kent, resulting in delays to three Eurostar services, has been found guilty and sent to prison for 2 months.
The case highlights the dangers of trespassing – the man was found just 3 metres away from the high speed rail track on which trains reach up to 186 mph. Eurostar passengers were also inconvenienced by a delay of nearly 1 hour.
Paul Chapman, Managing Director of High Speed 1 said:
"Trespassing on railway lines is incredibly dangerous and illegal. This trespasser not only put their own life at great risk but the lives of the train passengers and the workers on the railway track itself.
"Thanks to tough restrictions in place along the High Speed 1 route, trespassing is a rare occurrence, and on this occasion, the swift action of our on site workers and British Transport Police meant that the trespasser was moved on to a safe area and delays to passengers were kept to a minimum."
The man was found on the troughing lids near to a bridge on Egerton Road, Charing Heath in Lenham. He had scaled the 1.8 metre high fence which runs alongside the track. This is one of the first cases of trespassing on the new high speed track and British Transport Police were quick to point out how seriously they take cases such as this.
Inspector Stuart Downs, the British Transport Police Officer-in-Charge at Ebbsfleet International and part of the team of officers dedicated to policing High Speed 1, said:
"As a result of joint working between BTP officers from Ebbsfleet and Network Rail CTRL staff, the man was safely apprehended from the track and will now spend time in prison for the offence. Lineside locations are high-risk environments for unauthorised personnel, the sentence reflects how seriously BTP and the courts treat instances of trespass on the high-speed rail link."
He added, "I hope that this case sends out a strong message; that if you trespass on the railway not only do you endanger yourself, you are breaking the law and you may end up in prison."
The man appeared before Maidstone Magistrates Court on Wednesday 28 May and was found guilty of Obstruction of the Railway without Intent contrary to the Malicious Damage Act 1861 in addition to Trespass contrary to the British Transport Commission Act of 1949. He has been remanded for two months to HM Prison Service.
Railnews Archive ::: 2008-06-02 HS1-001
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