As part of a new campaign to highlight the dangers of trespassing on the railway, a victim has described how she almost lost her life on the railway.

The campaign is a continuation of Network Rail’s ‘No Second Chances’ safety campaign, which reminds the public of the fatal risks of trespassing on the railway. In the year 2024/2025, over 19,000 incidents of trespassing on the railway were recorded, which included 19 fatalities and 85 people seriously injured.

People often severely underestimate the dangers of trespassing on the railway, such as retrieving items dropped on the railway, saving time by crossing the tracks instead of using a footbridge or level crossing, to save time on a journey, or even standing too near the railway line.

Ten years ago, Dinusha Ilanperuma from Surrey experienced danger at first hand when she was aged 15. Whilst coming home from a party with friends, she stepped onto the railway line to retrieve one of her shoes. When she climbed back onto the platform, she slipped back onto the tracks and was electrocuted when she made contact with an electrified rail, and suffered catastrophic injuries.

After being rushed to the hospital, she underwent skin grafts for the third-degree burns on her left arm, back, and foot, and extensive nerve damage, and spent two weeks in the hospital. After being discharged, she had to learn to use her arm again because of the nerve damage.

Now, ten years on, Dinusha wants to help raise awareness of the dangers of trespassing on the railway to help other people stay safe. She says she is lucky to be alive, and still has the scars from that night, but it could have been much worse. Her friends had to watch as she was electrocuted, and when she woke up in the hospital, people told her they could smell the burnt flesh on her skin.

In Wales, during the past year, a 23% drop in trespass incidents across South Wales Metro railway lines has been attributed by Transport for Wales to rail safety education workshops attended by 50,000 schoolchildren.

“Trains and the railway are an integral part of our society, and our railways in Britain are among the safest in Europe. But that safety depends on respecting the railway and not trespassing – no matter how briefly. Trains can travel upwards of 100 mph and weigh 600 tonnes. They’re faster and quieter than ever. And that’s not to mention the electrified rails and overhead wires, the latter of which carry tens of thousands of volts of electricity. That’s why we’re urging people to think again before they trespass on the railway. This campaign isn’t about criminalising or shaming people. We understand that people trespass because they don’t fully understand the dangers. This is about making people realise that if you trespass on the railway, the consequences could be dire.”

Louise McNally, Trespass Prevention Specialist, Network Rail