Heart-stopping video shows moment man narrowly avoids being killed by express train
Shocking footage shows the moment a pedestrian narrowly escaped being hit by an express train by just fractions of a second.
In a warning to others, Avanti West Coast and Network Rail have released the footage of the heart-in-the-mouth moment caught by onboard driver CCTV in January.
The train is seen travelling along a section of track on the West Coast Main Line n ear Runcorn in Cheshire, which has a maximum speed for 125mph.
Network Rail said the entrance to the foot crossing displayed a red warning light, meaning it was unsafe to cross, but this was ignored by the man who was wearing a black cap and hoodie.
He came within feet of the high-speed train was was forced to come to an emergency stop as a result of the near-miss at 10.43am on January 18.
Lucy Jordan, Network Rail’s North West head of safety, said: “When I see footage like this it always make my heart stop. The difference of just a few seconds could have led to tragedy for this man and I can’t downplay the danger he was in.
“It’s important for Network Rail to share this video as a strong warning to others and to remind them of our level crossing rules. No matter how well you think you know a crossing, all users must obey the signage in place and if there are warning lights, always stop when they display red, it just isn’t worth the risk.”
Dave Whitehouse, Avanti West Coast safety and security director, added: “This footage serves as a stark reminder to be aware of your surroundings near the railways whether it’s at a level crossing or at a station. Although the man involved escaped serious injury, this shows it’s only takes a split second to make the wrong decision for it to end in tragedy.”
