In Jarošov nad Nežárkou, someone put hay on the tracks last year. Photo: Railway Administration
In the first quarter of this year, twenty cases were recorded in the Czech Republic where someone intentionally placed objects, such as stones or logs, on the tracks. For the entire year 2023, 53 cases were detected, which was also an increase compared to the previous year, when 38 were detected. The Pražský patriot server was informed about this by the spokesperson of the Railway Administration (SŽ), Dušan Gavenda.
According to Gavenda, the phenomenon of challenges on social networks is behind the growth. “Since the beginning of the year, the number of cases in which children and young people in particular confuse dormitories with playgrounds has been increasing. Under the influence of challenges, they are increasingly endangering traffic safety by placing objects on the tracks. In addition, they violate the law prohibiting entry to the railway yard. At the same time, they do not realize that serious danger threatens not only them, but also the people on the trains,” said the spokesperson.
In an attempt to show off their creative abilities, children and young people often ignore the rules and move in places where they are at risk of injury or even death. In the pursuit of followers, they not only risk their health, but also gamble with traffic safety.
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In the first quarter of 2024 alone, there were 20 cases of objects being placed on the tracks. A continuation of this trend would almost double the number of incidents in the previous two years. Specifically, for the year 2023, SŽ records 53 of them, a year earlier there were 38 cases.
“Such behavior, classified as a criminal offense, can also cause a train derailment or high material damage, which is then recovered from the perpetrators. In the case of minors, of course, their parents cover the resulting damage,” said the spokesperson. At the same time, damages can amount to several million crowns. For public endangerment, an adult can go to prison for several years if convicted.
In March of this year, children stopped traffic on the line between Prague’s main station and Libní, throwing stones at the trains. Last May, three adults aged around ten placed stones, sticks and metal nets on the tracks of the Praha-Čakovice stop. They were caught by the train driver, who fortunately managed to stop.
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“We are appealing to parents to warn their children that content on social networks is one thing, but imitating or spreading risky challenges often has fatal consequences. Not only train drivers and passengers on trains, but also actors of dangerous entertainment and their relatives can pay extra for them,” added Gavenda.
Last year, there were 8 similar cases of vandalism in the capital. “Unlike other regions, the number did not increase in the metropolis. It can be related, for example, to a greater frequency of traffic and passers-by, which can discourage vandals from risky behavior in the railway yard,” said the spokesperson.
The issue of vandalism was part of the recent security campaign We will miss you. The Dormitories are not playgrounds campaign is currently being implemented.
Since last year, SŽ has been organizing safety workshops for kindergarten and primary school pupils in its information center at Prague’s main railway station, where the topic is also discussed.
