CHILDREN reportedly playing a game of ‘chicken’ on train tracks in Powys had a narrow escape after almost being hit by a train.

The driver of a Transport for Wales [TfW] train described seeing two children standing in the centre of the tracks, with one playing chicken with the moving three-carriage train. One child moved out of the way only at the very last moment.

The incident occurred in the area of Offa's Dyke path crossing on the outskirts of Knighton, near Panpwnton Hill, at around 2.30pm on Sunday, September 8.

The narrow escape is said to have triggered a response from three police forces, including West Mercia Police and Dyfed-Powys Police, due to the incident occurring on the border of both forces, as well as British Transport Police who have responsibility for the railways.

OTHER NEWS:

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to the line near Knighton at around 2.28pm on Sunday (8 September) following reports of children playing on the tracks.

“Officers attended however no trace was found.”

A TfW statement said: "We can confirm the driver of the 11:10 Swansea-Shrewsbury reported a near miss involving two children on approach to Knighton. 

"The service was terminated at Knighton and there was also some minor disruption to two later services as a result of the incident."

PC Stuart Coote, of Bishops Castle Safer Neighbourhood Team, is making a plea to children who use the foot crossing not to undertake such dangerous activities and to think of the dire consequences of such actions, putting themselves in extreme danger as well as those on the train.

“On Sunday, September 8, at 2.40pm, an emergency call was received from a train driver of a 3-carriage Transport for Wales train that had been involved in a near miss with two children on the Heart of Wales line near Knighton,” said PC Coote in a post on the West Mercia Police Neighbourhood Matters page.

“The location was given as the Offa's Dyke path crossing in the area of Panpwnton Hill, just outside Knighton.

“The train had to apply the emergency brake and this caused the train to have to stop and the alarm was raised.

Help support trusted local news

Sign up for a digital subscription now: www.countytimes.co.uk/subscribe

As a digital subscriber you will get

  • Unlimited access to the County Times website
  • Advert-light access
  • Reader rewards
  • Full access to our app

     

“This triggered an emergency response from three police forces, West Mercia Police, Dyfed-Powys Police due to the incident being on the border of both forces and British Transport Police who have responsibility for the railways.

“A thorough search of the area was carried out but the children had gone, the driver of the train describing the incident as one playing ‘chicken’ with a moving train as they were stood in the centre of the train tracks and only moved at the very last moment.”

Dyfed-Powys Police said it did not have a report of officers attending the incident, while Transport for Wales have been approached for comment.