Buckhurst Hill electrified? TikTok video

https://www.tiktok.com/@jacobpearlmann/video/6784647210391850245

The above video on TikTok shows 2 lads crossing the rails at Buckhurst Hill. They appear to be doing it as a prank and for the fun of being kicked out of the station.

It seems those lads are lucky not to have been injured by the electrified rails.

oh my, they seem to have stood on the live rails - but not a live rail and a wheel rail at the same time

maybe also their type of footwear afforded them some protection?

nevertheless, stupid, foolish and potentially a waste of a life (fatal)

I thought that if you had one foot grounded ( on the ballast etc,sleeper) and one on the outer live, that was it.

silverfoxcc said:

I thought that if you had one foot grounded ( on the ballast etc,sleeper) and one on the outer live, that was it.

Click to expand...

To get an electric shock you need to be providing a path for electric current. On an LU track, that means touching one of the conductor rails (3rd or middle) whilst simultaneously touching something at ground potential, or for a bigger shock*, touching both the 3rd and centre conductor rails.
By 'touching', I mean having a conducting path which enters the body at one point and exits at another. There are a number of reasons why a current may not pass through (and hence no electric shock) such as insulation between skin and the conductor rail or ground point, e.g. shoes, or the ballast/sleepers etc., are dry and not conductive.
*the centre rail is about 210VDC negative wrt ground/running rails, the outer rail is 420VDC wrt ground, thus there is 630VDC between both conductor rails. The exception is where tracks are shared with NR 3rd rail trains and the centre rail is bonded to the running rails so that NR stock gets a 630VDC supply (but the new S-stock can also run on 750VDC.

Not in the case of Buckhurst Hill but most of the subsurface Lines are on 750vDC (+500 -250), although the regenerative voltage is up to 890-1000

AM9,
Thanks for that. electricity is a dark art to me ,my knowledge extends as for as a switch and a fuse..after that i am more fluent in Welsh! As for electricity at a minus voltage,!!!
Even at the Acton works open day back in thr 80s andeveryone saying power was off, i still worried myself silly if, when crossing a rpower and running rail, was wary even if my trouser leg brushed against it, I never knew shoes, if the ground and them are dry? would be ok
Never to old to learn,but i dont intend finding out lol

Might it already have been switched off at this point?

silverfoxcc said:

Even at the Acton works open day back in thr 80s andeveryone saying power was off, i still worried myself silly if, when crossing a rpower and running rail, was wary even if my trouser leg brushed against it, I never knew shoes, if the ground and them are dry? would be ok

Click to expand...

Always best to treat the conductor rail (or wire) with the respect it deserves, even if it has been isolated and secured.