At the railway station in Zadní Třebaň near Beroun, a family decided to take a shortcut to the platform by dashing across the tracks right in front of an approaching train. One of the small children stumbled and fell onto the rails — the mother instantly turned back, grabbed the child, and managed to pull them away just moments before the train passed through that exact spot.
The dramatic scene was caught on camera by a train standing at the station. The driver later posted the footage on social media to draw attention to the growing habit among passengers of ignoring underpasses and other safe routes to the platform — even though Zadní Třebaň station does have such a crossing.
"This kind of thing isn't just happening at this station — it's an everyday occurrence. If you tell passengers they shouldn't cross the tracks and should use the underpass instead, all you get in response is swearing," train driver Jaroslav Šiška, who published the recording, told CNN Prima NEWS.
The video sparked a heated reaction online, with many users sharply criticizing the parents for what they saw as needlessly risking not only their own lives but also their children's.
Experts have long warned that crossing tracks instead of using underpasses or bridges is a genuine danger to life. A train travelling at speed can need a braking distance of several hundred metres, meaning a driver is physically unable to stop the train in time in such situations.
This isn't the first such incident at the Zadní Třebaň station. In 2025, a man was seen at the same spot cycling across the tracks with a small girl in a child seat attached to the bike — again, just moments before a train came through. The train's onboard camera captured the scene, with the train passing through the area mere seconds later. Once again, tragedy was narrowly avoided.
Police investigated that earlier incident, classifying the man's actions as an offence and forwarding the case to the Transport Inspectorate, which handles such matters.
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Source: novinky.cz