Toddler placed on train tracks as parents follow ‘dangerous TikTok trend’

A toddler was seated on a train track for a photo in an "extremely dangerous" social media trend.

Authorities in Wales have sent out a warning to reckless members of the public, who are using level crossings for photoshoots.

Across social media, videos and pictures taken on train tracks have reeled in more than one million views, rail officials claim.

Shockingly one culprit decided it was a fun idea to leave their young child sitting down on a pedestrian crossing on the tracks in Harlech, Gwynedd.

According to Network Rail, 433 serious incidents on the railway have been reported since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, BBC News reports.

The organisation has teamed up with British Transport Police and Transport for Wales (TfW), to launch a new campaign highlighting the dangers of stopping for a quick snap.

Inspector Richard Powell said: "No photograph is worth the risk to you or the consequences for your family.

"Messing around on level crossings – including lingering to take photos – is illegal and extremely dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine."

Ronnie Gallagher, who works for Network Rail as a route level crossing manager, said the new campaign hopes to get "people in Wales to consider the true cost of taking a risk at a level crossing".

TfW train driver, Jody Donnelly, says that sadly part of hers and many of her colleagues' job is dealing with "hundreds of frightening and sometimes tragic occurrences at level crossings".

She said: "People seem to think that the worst won't happen to them – but if you're caught short at a level crossing, it simply isn't true.

"Unlike cars, trains can take hundreds of metres to stop when travelling at top speed, meaning that a decision to nip across the tracks can be fatal."

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