A YOUTH jumping between moving train wagons was one of several people risking death in the past week, according to Tasrail.
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The railway operator has taken to Facebook to condemn a group of young people, a truck driver and vandals who endangered themselves and others in incidents around its operations last week.
A spokesman on Tasrail's social networking site said the most disturbing incident involved four youths playing in and around a moving coal train at the Railton railyard on Thursday.
The spokesman said a train driver saw one of the youths jump over the coupling between two wagons while the train was travelling at 15km/h.
It is the second time in just over a month that Tasrail has sounded the alarm. Early last month The Sunday Examiner reported Tasrail concerns on near-misses at rail crossings.
Tasrail corporate services manager Jennifer Jarvis said last night the Railton incident was a stunt that could have seen the youths and the train driver harmed.
``Even at slow speed, this behaviour could easily have resulted in horrific injury but through no fault of the train driver, who would have been helpless to avoid such trauma,'' Ms Jarvis said.
``Potentially the youths could have been dragged under the train with horrific consequences, including loss of limbs, decapitation, death.''
Inspector Adrian Shadbolt said police were still investigating the incident.
``Trespassing would be the likely charge if the rail company wished to pursue charges,'' Inspector Shadbolt said.
``Given that the alleged offenders were youths it is likely that they would receive a caution from police by virtue of the Youth Justice Act.''
Ms Jarvis said it was just one of many rail-linked incidents throughout the state last week, with reports of safety signs and sections of rail stolen, roaming sheep hit and killed on the North-West Line and a near miss with a truck at Westbury Road, Deloraine.
``Disturbingly, the train driver reported that the truck driver initially stopped at the crossing lights, but then took the decision to proceed through the crossing, narrowly missing a collision,'' Ms Jarvis said.
She said the incidents were not isolated, which was why Tasrail was pushing greater rail safety awareness.
``In many ways it was a typical week for Tasrail,'' she said.
She said roaming livestock had been an increasing problem for the company.