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Hampshire coroner urges live rail warnings after teen death

Police handout Callum EvansPolice handout
Callum Evans died instantly when he fell on to a live rail, a coroner heard

The death of a teenager who fell on to a live rail line might have been prevented by clearer warning signs at a station, an inquest has heard.

Callum Evans, 17, was electrocuted when he fell on the tracks at Hinton Admiral station in Hampshire in September.

A friend who was with him said she would not have played on the tracks if she had known of the danger.

Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said he would write a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Network Rail.

The teenager, from Southampton, was "acutely intoxicated" after an afternoon spent drinking with friends on a beach on 15 September, the inquest heard.

Geograph/David Martin Hinton Admiral stationGeograph/David Martin
Hinton Admiral railway station has no live rail warning signs on platforms, the coroner was told

His friend Elspeth Hargreaves said the group of three teenagers arrived at the station at about 23:30 BST.

In a written statement, she said: "We were running around the tracks... all for a bit of fun.

"I noticed Callum trip over something and fall down. [He] wasn't moving."

Ms Hargreaves said she would not have gone on to the tracks if she had known of the live rail.

Kevin Pratt, a British Transport Police staff officer, said he had urged the rail industry for years to improve warning signs.

He said: "In many reports I've said they need to make that more visible. People just aren't aware that [the live rail] is dangerous."

'Oblivious'

Mr Pratt said rail authorities feared "danger of death" signs might inspire people with mental health problems to cause harm to others.

The coroner said the current "no trespassing" signs at stations arose from a 1949 Act of Parliament, when the risks at stations may have been different.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, he said: "All three... ran around on the tracks and seemed oblivious to the fact there was a live rail."

Previously the teenager's parents paid tribute to their "intelligent, loyal and popular" son, who was studying at Peter Symonds College in Winchester.

Network Rail has been approached for comment.

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