Please help to make the railway safe.

[PaulClark]

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29361

Dylan and Daniel both died on the 11th November 2011. They died between Rainham and Dagenham Dock station. That night they made a bad decision to walk home on the track after just missing their last train. Unfortunately they died in a tragic accident but an accident that could have been prevented.
The stations are not manned, the CCTV is not monitored, there is no security in place at stations, level crossings or on the track.
Frequently more lives are unnecessarily being taken.
The government needs to take action. They need to demand that the private rail companies are implementing safety precautions for all passengers.For the safety of the public, CCTV should be monitored 24 hours a day. Security gates should be fitted to stop passengers being able to walk from the platform on to the track. Stations should be closed when the trains are not in service. Something needs to change to prevent this from reoccurring.

 

[the sniper]

Might be better to lock this thread now, as I fear this thread will not end nicely for Paul or the family of those who were sadly killed.

 

[Michael.Y]

OR

People need to obey signs which say "No trespassing on the railway."

Drivers need to obey signs which say "Phone before crossing."

Parents need to educate their children in what is right, what is wrong, and what locations / places are off limits.

From the article:
It is believed a third person dropped the pair off at the station, which is surrounded by metal fencing and barriers...

 

[ainsworth74]

I'm sorry but I'm not going to be signing this petition. Whilst it aim is laudable (a safer railway) the cost of implementing such a scheme as this would be massive when the benefits from doing so are negligible.

 

[transmanche]

Paul, whilst I have every sympathy for your loss - and it's very sad when anybody is killed is such circumstances. But I can't agree that it was an accident. Dylan and Daniel died because they took a deliberate decision to do something dangerous - and paid the price for their bad decision.

I'd support your campaign - but only if you applied to same logic to roads as well as railways. More people die on the roads than die on the railways.

 

[jonb]

Unfortunately this stretch of the c2c (Barking - Grays) suffers a lot of trespass problems. Even if fencing were erected at the ends of platforms that wouldn't stop the little darlings from getting onto the track. I also believe there have been attempts to access HS1 at various points!

I too won't be signing, although I do have sympathy for the family people need to use common sense these days. If two individuals chose that night to walk on a live railway line then that is their choice. In doing so they took on the risks associated with trespassing.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Might be better to lock this thread now, as I fear this thread will not end nicely for Paul or the family of those who were sadly killed.

Agreed. I for one am not even going to look at this petition.

 

[district]

Echo what everyone else has said, I am terribly sorry for your loss Paul, but won't be signing the petition. It is down to education and the fact that those who died did so because they deliberately contravened the rules.

It would be a good idea to make the roads safer, but does this mean fencing the pavements so pedestrians cannot access the roads? No, because it would be called ludicrous. Children should be taught to cross the road (and the railway) safely.

Added: The government's view on e-petitions is that anyone opposing an e-petition should create another e-petition to encourage the government to ignore such petition. I have done so with the following content and will post a link when it has been approved:

Please ignore this petition. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29361.

People die on the railway by failing to follow simple rules. It is unheard of to consider fencing roads off to prevent pedestrian access because children should be taught how to cross roads safely and legally. The same should apply to the railways as there are safe and legal ways of crossing the railway.

 

[GB]

Why can't people show the same respect to railways as they do roads and the like?:roll:

Sorry, and this may sound bad, but you get no support from me on this.

Sympathy for the family yes, but that's as far as it goes.

 

[ole man]

This thread should never of been put up here.

Sadly the incident could of been prevented by simply not walking down a railway, it doesn't say how old the boys were, but has said above they they should not of trespassed.

How can you ask for the railway to made safer? The answer is simple don;t walk down a railway.

 

[Donny Dave]

I'm going to be harsh here, but ....

Once again we have a plee to make the "big nasty railway" safe for everyone to use. Not a request to help protect the railway from people lacking in common sense. While I sympathise with you for your loss, it was the stupidity of Dylan and Daniel that led to their demise. Something you admitted in your post and petition.

Anyway, I posted the following a long time ago now, but I'll repost it here.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; by his wife, Discretion; by his daughter, Responsibility; and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers:
I Know My Rights,
Someone Else is to Blame,
I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not join the majority and do nothing.

 

[ole man]

RIP Common sense

 

[PaulClark]

How do I lock thread

 

[WestCoast]

It's so sad when someone is tragically killed in that manner.

However, I think investment shouldn't be put into full-height barriers or suchlike but instead into education about railway safety.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I will not be signing this petition. While the aims are noble and I am sorry for your loss it was ultimately their decision to trespass on the tracks. It was their decision to take the risks they did and sadly they have paid the price.

May I suggest to the OP that your efforts may be better used in teaming up with your local MP and Network Rail to organise a sort of safety awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of trespass on the railways? I feel that this will truly save more lives than a petition and hopefully their deaths would not have been in vain.

I think this thread should probably be locked. I don't think it's going to go very well.

 

[district]

(Have added to my OP)
The government's view on e-petitions is that anyone opposing an e-petition should create another e-petition to encourage the government to ignore such petition. I have done so with the following content and will post a link when it has been approved:

Please ignore this petition. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29361.

People die on the railway by failing to follow simple rules. It is unheard of to consider fencing roads off to prevent pedestrian access because children should be taught how to cross roads safely and legally. The same should apply to the railways as there are safe and legal ways of crossing the railway.

 

[ole man]

How can you educate more? Parents, teachers, police tell youngsters not to go near the track.
What do people want the railway to be totally fenced off?.

 

[Mojo]

How do I lock thread

You cannot lock the thread, thread locking is a measure carried out by forum staff and will be carried out when the thread breaches or is about to breach the forum rules. This is not the case at the moment. You have made this thread to be discussed in the public domain and it will remain that way until forum staff decide otherwise.

 

[WestCoast]

But kids can be very naive and lack common sense no matter how many times they are told somewhere is a 'no-go zone'. It's like the 'forbidden fruit', especially if a child can see no immediate danger.

Visits by Network Rail safety officers can be useful in saving lives as they use shock tactics such as talking about individual tragic cases in the local area or playing a video about an event. It makes more of an impression that hopefully will stay in the minds of young people.

It'd done for road safety as well.

 

[yorksrob]

Firstly, my condolences to the friends and familes.

Sadly, I feel that you could have any number of such measures in place, and such tragic events will continue to occur - because if people are determined to go on to the track, they will.

When I was a child at school (in Kent as it happens) there used to be an ex train driver who would come around visiting the schools teaching children about the dangers of the railway, including some very scary films (to this day I remember learning about the dangers of the "electric snake" (the third rail) so it obviously worked for me). I don't know if this still happens, however, if it doesn't, I would gladly sign a petition to reinstate those lessons, because I srongly believe that awareness of the dangers will do a lot more to prevent such accidents than flashing lights (which are often ignored), barriers (which can be climbed) and even staff aren't guaranteed to be in the right place at the right time to prevent such horrific events from occuring.

 

[ole man]

Naivety is not a excuse, they could of got a taxi, what did they expect walking down a open railway.

Agree NWR and BTP should show children some of the video's i have to watch, then they would think twice about trespassing

 

[ralphchadkirk]

People may not agree with Paul, but can we please have a little respect and sympathy? Or are people too cold-hearted on here?

 

[district]

People may not agree with Paul, but can we please have a little respect and sympathy? Or are people too cold-hearted on here?

Wasn't aware anyone was showing dis sympathy? I appreciate someone has died but the way it is being construed as if it was an accident, which implies that no-one was to blame?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Wasn't aware anyone was showing dis sympathy? I appreciate someone has died but the way it is being construed as if it was an accident, which implies that no-one was to blame?

See the post above mine. How you have managed to get blame into it is beyond me.

 

[GB]

People may not agree with Paul, but can we please have a little respect and sympathy? Or are people too cold-hearted on here?

I think most have added their sympathy or have at least understood where the op is coming from.

I have just re read the log and it does make chilling reading.

 

[Yew]

I trust you will be petitioning for similar measures on roads too? As roads have many more dangers than railways to 'pedestrians'

 

[ole man]

Im sorry for the family's loss, but what does the OP expect?.
Everybody on this site works or is interested in the railway and knows what to expect.

What did you want from me?. to say the railway was at fault for just being there for the last 100 years

 

[district]

People may not agree with Paul, but can we please have a little respect and sympathy? Or are people too cold-hearted on here?

See the post above mine. How you have managed to get blame into it is beyond me.

I refuse to argue with you any further as I do not wish the thread to be locked.

The fact is what two people have died and that is tragic. And I'm sure we are all very sympathetic - I know I am.
The OP has made it out that it is the fault of the railway, by commenting on the station has unstaffed, no CCTV ect.
It is the fault of the individuals for making such a dangerous decision and it is that which has cost them their lives.

That does not detract that two people have died and my thoughts are still always with the friends and families, despite what you may think ralphchadkirk.

 

[ole man]

This was NOT a accident, so stop calling it one

 

[district]

This was NOT a accident, so stop calling it one

Agreed. Accident implies no-one was to blame.