Children caught playing ‘chicken’ with trains at busy level crossing

Children caught playing ‘chicken’ with trains at busy level crossing Network Rail called on parents and teachers to help stress the ‘vital safety message’ around playing on tracks - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Network Rail has had to close a busy level crossing in London due to children and teenagers repeatedly playing life-threatening games on the tracks. Brickfields crossing, near Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, has been temporarily shut after cameras showed young people performing handstands and playing “chicken” with oncoming trains. Network Rail said on Monday that children had also been seen walking on anti-trespass boards, using their phones on the crossing and racing across to ‘beat’ a train. The railway line through Brickfields is used by around 230 trains each day, meaning trains pass through at all times, they warned. The crossing had been initially closed for 21 days since 30 September but will be extended further while action is taken to address the serious misuse observed. It will remain closed until all year groups in local schools have received an educational presentation warning of the dangers of messing around near railway lines, Network Rail said. Shenel Bullock, route health and safety manager for Network Rail Anglia, said the safety of the public was their “absolute priority” and prompted the “difficult decision” to shut the crossing. "We understand this closure may inconvenience some local people, but we cannot ignore the significant risks posed by this behaviour,” she said, adding: “This temporary closure gives us the opportunity to assess what further measures may be needed to keep people safe.” "We are asking parents, carers, teachers and the wider community to help us reinforce this vital safety message. Every railway safety conversation could help prevent a tragedy." Network Rail said they are working closely with the British Transport Police (BTP) and local partners to address the issue. The rail operator ran a campaign earlier this year highlighting the consequences of taking risks around level crossings. The ‘No Second Chances’ campaign encouraged people to stop, think and stay safe when crossing the railway. Earlier this year, Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) recorded a significant jump in the number of people falling while trying to board a train, warning that most incidents were entirely preventable. The operator observed at least 93 cases of people falling while trying to board a train, up 43 per cent from 2025. Among the most common causes of accidents at stations were trying to board a train while the doors are closing, running for trains, and taking pushchairs and luggage on escalators, they said. They also reported an overall five per cent drop in “slips, trips and falls” following a public information campaign on safe travel earlier in the year. Around 500 London Tube passengers were injured in 2024 after becoming trapped in closing doors or falling between the train and the platform edge.