WALKERS who are using West Somerset Railway tracks for their daily coronavirus exercise could be putting their lives on the line as well as risking a £1,000 fine.

“We are getting alarming reports of an increasing number of people trespassing on the line for their daily walks,” said a WSR spokesman. “This is not only illegal but really dangerous .

“Although we are not running regular services, maintenance work is being done and you can come across a train at any time. They are diesels and often can’t be heard until the last minute.

“We have to stamp out this idea that during the coronavirus crisis it’s OK to walk on the railway before something tragic happens.”

Since the lockdown, WSR security patrols and maintenance crews have reported finding members of the public walking along the space between the rails in dozens of locations along the line.

“They think that because the service has been suspended there’s no chance of meeting a train,” one volunteer said.” In fact maintenance trains are out on a regular basis and these people really could be taking their lives in their hands.”

“Several have said they didn’t realise they were doing anything wrong and others couldn’t see that they could be in any danger

“In fact there is a video of a couple cycling between the tracks and, only minutes after they turned off at a level-crossing, a train came by.”

Incidents reported over the past week included:

n Two families walking through Crowcombe station on the track.

n An elderly couple strolling along the line between Norton Fitzwarren and Bishops Lydeard.

n A man exercising his dog on the line near Blue Anchor.

n Groups of youngsters on the tracks at Bishops Lydeard.

n Several people in hiking gear walking through Dunster station.

n A family with small children sitting on the railway line near Watchet.

The WSR spokesman said: “These must be local people who erroneously think it’s safe to walk on the tracks during the Covid 19 lockdown when our passenger trains are suspended, but that is not the case at all.

“Neither we nor the hard-pressed emergency services want to have to deal with someone who has been injured or worse either trespassing on the line or trying to get out of the way of a train bearing down on them.

“Putting other people at risk through trespassing in hazardous areas is just not acceptable. We take this behaviour very seriously.”

The spokesman added: “We realise that people are naturally getting bored while in the coronavirus lockdown at home.

“But illegal trespassing on railway lines is not only dangerous at any time because a locomotive and works train might be around, but carries a £1,000 penalty fine too.”