BTP said the incidents were caused by touching overhead wires or other electrified equipment. Credit: Pexels.

Two separate incidents on the UK rail network have led the police to issue a plea to teenagers to respect safety signage and stay clear of railways. 

A 14 year-old and a 17 year-old suffered what Det Chief Insp Marc Francey of the British Transport Police described as “horrific injuries”, both incidents of which happened in Scotland.

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On Saturday the younger boy is believed to have climbed on top of a stationary freight car and touched the overhead cable. 

Officials said the teenager’s injuries were understood to be life-changing and he remains in hospital in a serious condition.

On Sunday a young man was discovered close to a rail line in the Murrayfield quarter of Edinburgh. It is unclear how he sustained his injuries, which were also described as “life-changing” but it is thought he climbed over perimeter fencing to access the railway on Saturday night. 

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Following the railway incidents, police encouraged parents to discuss the dangers of railway trespass with their children. 

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Det Chief Insp Francey added: “It should be abundantly clear from these two tragic incidents that the railway is not a playground.

“Modern trains can almost silently reach speeds of 125mph and the overheard lines are powered by extremely high currents of electricity 24 hours day, which can kill instantly or result in catastrophic life-changing injuries.”