TasRail has issued yet another blunt warning after capturing footage of two people standing dangerously close to oncoming trains.
“Is any photo worth the risk? How about a shortcut through one of our yards? The answer is a resounding NO,” the rail operator posted on social media.
“It would only have taken one of these individuals tripping or falling – a moment of distraction – and the consequences for them would have been fatal.”
TasRail reminded the public that trains cannot swerve and can take up to 10 football fields – roughly one kilometre – to come to a complete stop.
“Their families, our drivers, emergency services (the list goes on) would have been left to deal with the aftermath of their poor choices,” TasRail said.
The warning comes as TasRail’s latest annual report reveals trespass incidents remain stubbornly high, with 82 recorded in 2024–25 – the second-highest figure in nearly a decade.
Trespasses have risen 44% from 57 in 2019–20, plateauing at around 80 incidents a year since 2021–22.
In June 2023, a 36-year-old man was killed at a Burnie rail yard after climbing a fence to access a restricted area.
Police said at the time he was struck by a train carriage as freight was being unloaded.
The driver was unaware the incident had occurred.
