RAILWAY volunteers are warning residents of the fatal dangers of walking along the tracks in North Swindon.

It comes after a mother and her three children were seen on the Swindon and Cricklade Railway tracks near Blunsdon Station over the Easter holidays.

The problem continues despite a new access route opening at the end of Callington Road to ensure walkers do not need to cross the railway line.

Recently, a group of children were seen playing on sleepers that were piled up alongside the track.

Volunteers are issuing a warning to parents and children who are looking for a shortcut to Mouldon Hill to think twice before attempting to cut their journey by a matter of minutes.

Safety training manager Mick Clabby said: “If trains are running on the line and we see them, we will try to stop.

“But the danger is when we are moving at speed, it takes a long time to stop.

“We don’t stop like a car, this is a 100-tonne unit just about and it will take a while to stop.

“Fortunately this time we saw the mum and her children and the driver would have come to a stop as fast as he could.

“But the worst-case scenario is death, it is as simple as that.”

At the meeting of the North Locality in February during a progress update on the Mouldon Hill project, it was announced that a new path had been built for the benefit of Oakhurst and Taw Hill residents.

The new path runs almost north to south between the Swindon & Cricklade Railway and the A419, providing access to Mouldon Hill without crossing the railway line.

The path provides a new point of access to Oakhurst residents, from the southern end of Callington Road, and for Taw Hill residents along the last piece of Haydon End Lane West starting from the junction of Lavinia Walk and Melstock Road.

The path brings walkers out almost opposite the Swindon & Cricklade Railway Bridge, but access under the bridge is being denied while work is being carried out to make it safe for trains to cross.

Resident Jenny Summers said: “I know it’s a shortcut to Mouldon Hill but surely your life is more precious to you than cutting 10 minutes off a walk.

“There is no excuse as we now have a new access route at the end of Callington Road.”