Watch shocking moment child jumps on railway tracks in front of moving train at busy station

The heart-pounding video revealed how the youngster was chased onto the tracks of Bramley Station, in Leeds, West Yorks., while with a group of others youths. And it then showed how the young individual apparently pleaded for his pals to let them back onto the platform as a train pulled into the terminal.

Eventually the child - wearing a black raincoat and jogging bottoms - was able to clamber out of harm’s way. But later footage seemed to show the same child ripping up a plastic waste bag and throwing it on the line as the train waited to move forward.

Other CCTV also showed another member of the group jumping onto the line after a train departed. While further clips taken from Newton Aycliffe and Seaham, both in Co Durham., showed other youths jumping on tracks and pausing to take pictures at a crossing.

Network Rail has found trespass incidents are more frequent on its North and East Route during the summer months - with 70% reported between April and September last year. And they said these caused passengers to face nearly 12,000 minutes of delayed trains - equivalent to more than eight days.

Chloe Creffield, Network Rail’s community safety manager in the North and East, urged those tempted to jump on tracks to ‘remember the consequences’ as the railway is a ‘dangerous’ place. She added: “Closing the railway while we investigate incidents of trespass disrupts lives and also causes costly delays for passengers. We hope the CCTV footage will remind the public to think of their own safety and see that trespassing on the railway can be life-threatening.”