LATE night train services to London were disrupted after a teenage boy suffered serious burns when he was electrocuted by as many as 25,000 volts in a railway depot on the West Coast Mainline.
The 16-year-old is in the intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where his condition was described yesterday (Wednesday) as stable.
Police and paramedics told The Observer they were called to the depot on Hunters Lane near Rugby train station just before 10pm on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Network Rail told us the line had to be closed for an hour and a half while the boy was treated at the scene for burns his neck, shoulders and feet after coming into contact with high voltage cables.
He was believed to have been playing with two friends, neither of whom were hurt.
There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Accessing the railway without permission is extremely dangerous with many hazards which pose a serious risk to life, including overhead power lines which carry 25,000v of electricity,” the spokesman added.
“We work closely with British Transport Police to educate the public on how to safely access and use the railway and our advice is clear – only enter areas which are clearly marked for public use.”
