A toddler was placed on a train track by her parents so they could take a photo.
The child is understood to have been left on the railway line by her parents as part of dangerous social media trend on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Shocking CCTV images show people posing for selfies on the line in Harlech, Wales while others have been posing for full-blown photoshoots on the tracks in Cilfrew in Neath with professional equipment, Wales Online reports.
People then share the images with hashtags like #railphotography and #railwayshoot on sites like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Train driver Jody Donnelly said: “Over the years, myself and many of my colleagues ― from within station, driver and conductor roles ― have had to deal with hundreds of frightening and sometimes tragic occurrences at level crossings.
"People seem to think that the worst won’t happen to them ― but if you’re caught short at a level crossing, it simply isn’t true. Unlike cars, trains can take hundreds of metres to stop when travelling at top-speed, meaning that a decision to nip across the tracks can be fatal."
A film called "At What Cost?" has been made as part of a joint safety campaign by Transport for Wales, National Rail and British Transport Police.
It will be used on TikTok, Instagram and Spotify, and at youth-outreach presentations at schools and holiday parks ― with the aim of driving awareness among young people in Wales.
Ronnie Gallagher, Route Level Crossing Manager at Network Rail said: "With an expected rise in staycations and holidays to Wales this summer ― not to mention the imminent arrival of the school holidays ― there has never been a more important time for us to launch a safety awareness campaign around level crossings."
Richard Powell, Inspector at British Transport Police said: "Messing around on level crossings ― including lingering to take photos ― is illegal and extremely dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine.
"Trains approach almost silently, so if you’re distracted, you won't notice until it’s too late. Take care around level crossings. No photograph is worth the risk to you or the consequences for your family and any bystanders."
For more information on the dangers of level crossing misuse and how to avoid incidents, please visit https://tfwrail.wales/about-us/travel-safety/level-crossings or visit Transport for Wales, Network Rail or British Transport Police on Facebook.
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