Mum's 'insane' act with child along Melbourne train tracks
A video of a woman and a child walking on loose gravel alongside train tracks in Melbourne has left viewers concerned for their safety.
The video was shared in the r/melbourne subreddit and said the video was taken on January 29.
"Mother and child foraging on live train tracks near Melbourne Zoo," the post said.
In the footage, the woman and child are seen sifting through the bushes right near the tracks, though in the 19 second video, no train is seen approaching.
Melbourne's Upfield line goes right past Melbourne Zoo in Parkville. Some on the Reddit thread were shocked at how potentially dangerous the woman's actions were.
"Not only is that very stupid and dangerous they also would have caused all trains to come to a stop in the area until the police came to remove them causing even more disruptions," one person said, while others slammed the behaviour as "insane" and "silly".
Many believed she was picking blackberries along the tracks.
"Taking a kid isn't smart," one Reddit user commented.
Woman likely trespassing and at 'high risk'
One person, who said they had Safely Access the Rail Corridor (SARC) training, said the woman's actions would cause rail authorities to treat it as a "high risk situation".
"Unauthorised persons in the corridor would almost certainly halt all trains in the line. SARC training (among others) and a Protection Officer are mandatory in pretty much every situation inside what’s referred to as the Danger Zone (beyond the yellow line on a platform) and I think you’d likely be charged trespassing," they said.
"Rail safety is no joke. All rail authorities would treat this as a high risk situation."
Metro Trains Melbourne said in a 2020 press release that trespassing is "incredibly dangerous and disruptive".
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, a Metro Trains Melbourne spokesperson said safety remains its number one priority and said trespassing is "incredibly dangerous".
"We urge everyone to be aware and alert around trains as reckless or careless behaviour can result in serious injury or death," the spokesperson said.
"Trespassing can cause significant trauma for staff, passengers and the community, as well as cause major disruptions for passengers."
In 2021 over 3000 incidents of trespassing. were recorded on Melbourne's metropolitan rail network and anyone who is caught illegally trespassing can be fined. up to $363.
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