Yesterday, ProRail had to respond to stones on the tracks between Deurne in Brabant and Helmond. They were placed there by children, and apparently, this happens quite regularly.
Now, the company is warning that this strange game needs to stop.
Not only are the children putting themselves at risk, but also train passengers.
Parents need to talk with children
“This is extremely dangerous,” a ProRail spokesperson tells RTL Nieuws. They are urging parents to speak with their children about the dangers of placing stones on the track.
In fact, as RTL Nieuws writes, worst-case scenario: these stones could even cause a train to derail. Best-case: “Even if the train does not derail, it can be severely damaged and passengers will experience delays,” the spokesperson explains.
One incident responder is fed up
One of ProRail’s incident responders, Emiel, even took to Instagram to speak his mind to parents.
After responding to the stones on the track near Deurne, he shared a picture of the offending rocks, writing “Calling to the parents of Deurne, will you please have a conversation with your children if they like to play on the tracks in the forest between Deurne and Helmond.”
Emiel responded after a train driver saw children running from the tracks, he reportedly had a conversation with the children about their actions.
The ProRail spokesperson echoes Emiel’s sentiment. “If you suspect your child is doing this, have a serious talk. This is extremely dangerous. For yourself, but also for train passengers.”
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