Teenager dies 'playing' on hi-speed track out of Paddington

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4551758.stm

A teenager was killed when he was hit by a high-speed train, police
said.

The 17-year-old was on the tracks at Hanwell Station in west London
when he was struck just after midnight by the 23.54 Heathrow to
Paddington Express.

Four other youths who were with him managed to get out of the way of
the train which travels up to 100mph. The victim's relatives have yet
to be told.

The incident closed the line for about two hours and some passengers
had to be bussed home - [according to the BBC web site. Actually it was
more likely 400 from Paddington alone, and it took FGW/FGWL two and
half hours to arrange one bus and one coach for those stranded to
Reading and Oxford].

A British Transport Police spokesman said the four youths [who
survived] will be questioned on Thursday but they are not treating the
death as suspicious. [Like they should have been on the tracks in the
middle of the night in the first place?]

"We think it is a tragic case of kids playing on the tracks," the
spokesman said. [Er - excuse me - 'playing' - what games do kids 'play'
on high speed railway tracks in the middle of the night?]

That area has also been hit recently with yet more heavy graffiti
including all over the newly decorated Hanwell Station.

CJB wrote:


Four other youths who were with him managed to get out of the way of
the train which travels up to 100mph. The victim's relatives have yet
to be told.

The incident closed the line for about two hours and some passengers
had to be bussed home - [according to the BBC web site. Actually it
was more likely 400 from Paddington alone, and it took FGW/FGWL two
and half hours to arrange one bus and one coach for those stranded to
Reading and Oxford].

How do you know it was 400? Did you count them? That's almost 'closing'
time for Paddinton (in terms of major services) therefore I'm not
entirely surprised it took awhile to arrange alternate transport.


A British Transport Police spokesman said the four youths [who
survived] will be questioned on Thursday but they are not treating the
death as suspicious. [Like they should have been on the tracks in the
middle of the night in the first place?]

No they shouldn't - but that's hardly suspicious is it? Suspicious
would be if he'd been pushed, or there was some other reason to believe
foul play.

CJB wrote:
Teenager dies 'playing' on hi-speed track out of Paddington

[snip]

Interesting story, and interesting comments too, but it's a bit
difficult to work out which are your comments and which are the BBC's.
I think a sprinkling of quotation marks would have helped. Or else a
clear separation of quote from comment - something like
quoteblahblahblah/quote would have helped.

I noticed this incident on the NRES website last night. For some reason
they were saying that it had affected services provided by FGW, FGWL
and Heathrow Connect - no mention of Heathrow Express. I can't see how
HEx could have continued running though, especially if one of their
trains was directly involved.

One question - what is the lineside fencing like round here? I thought
it was all heavy duty steel palissade these days? I suppose these kids
could have reached the track from Southall platforms, but then where
would they be going to?

All very unfortunate, for everyone involved.
--
Pat Ricroft, City of Salford, UK
================================

Pat Ricroft wrote:
All very unfortunate, for everyone involved.

Perhaps, but I'm going out on a limb here... If the area was recently
hit with graffiti, and this happened late at night, then I might not be
too stupid in suspecting that they were involved.

I guess the proof will come if there's no more graffiti put up in the
next few days/weeks, as these kids probably got a pretty nasty shock
(one of them did, certainly).

There's no justification for being on the tracks, so - to be honest - I
hope this story goes away as quickly as possible. It's yet another
article that many people will read as being the train companies fault
in some way (or, at best, Network Rail for not 'protecting' these
people from themselves).

If they were involved in vandalism or graffiti, then we should perhaps
thanks the HEX for contributing to crime prevention. [quickly puts on
flame suit]

Jonathan

jonmorris wrote:
Pat Ricroft wrote:
All very unfortunate, for everyone involved.
Perhaps, but I'm going out on a limb here... If the area was recently
hit with graffiti, and this happened late at night, then I might not be
too stupid in suspecting that they were involved.
Impossible to say, without any er, *evidence*.

I guess the proof will come if there's no more graffiti put up in the
next few days/weeks, as these kids probably got a pretty nasty shock
No, that won't prove anything. The kids being in possession of cans of
spray paint, even that wouldn't necessarily prove they did *that* bit of
tagging. CCTV or witnesses, now those would be persuasive evidence.

If they were involved in vandalism or graffiti, then we should perhaps
thanks the HEX for contributing to crime prevention. [quickly puts on
flame suit]
I'm not going to flame you. You know that was in squalid taste and you
know the appropriate thing to do would be to withdraw the remark. Ours
is not the kind of country where simply making the place look untidy is
or ever has been a capital offence.

There's no justification for being on the tracks
True.

I hope this story goes away as quickly as possible. It's yet another
article that many people will read as being the train companies fault
in some way (or, at best, Network Rail for not 'protecting' these
people from themselves).
I'd give people more credit than that. I might be wrong.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9683795.html
(151 001 at Derby, 13 Jun 1985)

"Chris Tolley" wrote in message ...
jonmorris wrote:
Pat Ricroft wrote:
All very unfortunate, for everyone involved.
Perhaps, but I'm going out on a limb here... If the area was recently
hit with graffiti, and this happened late at night, then I might not be
too stupid in suspecting that they were involved.
Impossible to say, without any er, *evidence*.

I guess the proof will come if there's no more graffiti put up in the
next few days/weeks, as these kids probably got a pretty nasty shock
No, that won't prove anything. The kids being in possession of cans of
spray paint, even that wouldn't necessarily prove they did *that* bit of
tagging. CCTV or witnesses, now those would be persuasive evidence.

If they were involved in vandalism or graffiti, then we should perhaps
thanks the HEX for contributing to crime prevention. [quickly puts on
flame suit]
I'm not going to flame you. You know that was in squalid taste and you
know the appropriate thing to do would be to withdraw the remark. Ours
is not the kind of country where simply making the place look untidy is
or ever has been a capital offence.

There's no justification for being on the tracks
True.

I hope this story goes away as quickly as possible. It's yet another
article that many people will read as being the train companies fault
in some way (or, at best, Network Rail for not 'protecting' these
people from themselves).
I'd give people more credit than that. I might be wrong.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9683795.html
(151 001 at Derby, 13 Jun 1985)


The guy who was killed was 17....way old enough to know what he was doing, know how dangerous it is/was, know the disasterous
results of being in that area ( the tracks ).
It's time to face reality - he played his game and lost. I feel sorry for his family esp at this time of year and the driver of
the HEX. Sorry it sounds cold but excuses have been made time and again for these idiots when a bit of common could have saved his
life. It's not as if it was a tragic accident ( judging on info so far received ). He was knowingly and willingly in the very
wrong place at a very wrong time.....and paid the price

It's not as if it was a tragic accident
Perhaps his family have a different perspective

It's time to face reality - he played his game and lost.
No danger of the Christmas spirit here then

He was knowingly and willingly in the very
wrong place at a very wrong time.....and paid the price
And a happy and prosperous 2006 to you and yours

Simon wrote:
It's not as if it was a tragic accident
Perhaps his family have a different perspective
I don't doubt they have, but it doesn't change the facts

It's time to face reality - he played his game and lost.
No danger of the Christmas spirit here then
See above, being Christmas is no excuse for being where they were.

He was knowingly and willingly in the very
wrong place at a very wrong time.....and paid the price
And a happy and prosperous 2006 to you and yours
And the best to you as well, keep up the good work & don't let reason cloud
your judgement.


--
Regards


Vauxhall

"Simon" wrote in message oups.com...
It's not as if it was a tragic accident
Perhaps his family have a different perspective

It's time to face reality - he played his game and lost.
No danger of the Christmas spirit here then

He was knowingly and willingly in the very
wrong place at a very wrong time.....and paid the price
And a happy and prosperous 2006 to you and yours


y'see, exactly what i'm on about. What has Christmas spirit got to do with this event ? Does it make any difference if this
happened in July ?

The guy was trespassing on a live railway and got hit by a train. He was 17 years old. He knew it was a) wrong and b) dangerous
but he still took that decision and got the consequences.

I feel very sorry for his family ( as mentioned ) but at the end of the day, he's an adult ( or as near to it in the eyes of the
law). Do i have to dress it up and pretend i have massive sympathy for HIM simply because it's Christmas ? HIS actions cost him
HIS life. Regardless of date, this guy was a bloody idiot. If your saying that in this week i have to say ' i feel so sorry for
him and maybe it wasn't his FAULT and he was only 17 ' for the sake of Christmas spirit but for the other 51 weeks of the year
it's ok to be truthful, then sorry, i don't buy that.

A happy and properous 2006 to you and yours. My they drive safe and keep of bust railway tracks

"the REAL Trevor McDonut" wrote in message ...

"Simon" wrote in message oups.com...
It's not as if it was a tragic accident
Perhaps his family have a different perspective

It's time to face reality - he played his game and lost.
No danger of the Christmas spirit here then

He was knowingly and willingly in the very
wrong place at a very wrong time.....and paid the price
And a happy and prosperous 2006 to you and yours


y'see, exactly what i'm on about. What has Christmas spirit got to do with this event ? Does it make any difference if this
happened in July ?

The guy was trespassing on a live railway and got hit by a train. He was 17 years old. He knew it was a) wrong and b) dangerous
but he still took that decision and got the consequences.

I feel very sorry for his family ( as mentioned ) but at the end of the day, he's an adult ( or as near to it in the eyes of the
law). Do i have to dress it up and pretend i have massive sympathy for HIM simply because it's Christmas ? HIS actions cost him
HIS life. Regardless of date, this guy was a bloody idiot. If your saying that in this week i have to say ' i feel so sorry for
him and maybe it wasn't his FAULT and he was only 17 ' for the sake of Christmas spirit but for the other 51 weeks of the year
it's ok to be truthful, then sorry, i don't buy that.

A happy and properous 2006 to you and yours. My they drive safe and keep of bust railway tracks


whoops that should have read busy railway tracks