This is the heart-stopping moment a train narrowly avoided hitting three people while travelling at 85mph across a level crossing in Conwy .
CCTV footage of the incident at Glan y Mor Elias crossing, near Llanfairfechan, has been released by British Transport Police.
Incredibly, the train - the 2.25pm Holyhead to Cardiff Arriva Trains Wales service - passed over the crossing just three seconds after the group were making their way across.
Police say the driver was left traumatised and was unable to continue with their duties, cutting their shift short at Llandudno Junction.
The incident also resulted in one train being cancelled and another partially cancelled.
BTP Wales are now investigating the incident, with officers warning that carelessness at crossings can have devastating consequences.
The force tweeted a link to the footage today along with the caption: "Three seconds from tragedy.
"That is how close these people came to being wiped out by a train at 85mph in this heart-stopping footage.
"Please, be careful out there.
"Dropping your guard for just a few seconds can have devastating consequences."
Number of near-miss reports
PC Rob Thomas from British Transport Police said: “There are dozens of foot crossings across the North Wales Coast. Every year we get numerous reports of trains involved in near-misses, usually through people not paying enough attention as they cross.
"In this incident, there was just three seconds between the people clearing the crossing and the train going past. That is clearly not a sufficient time gap and could all too easily have ended in tragedy.
“Incidents such as this can not only be traumatic for the people involved and their families, but also the driver and emergency services personnel who attend.
“I would implore people to be vigilant at crossings, remove earphones, pay attention to any signs and take time to look and listen. While crossing, do not dawdle and keep paying attention, looking both sides.
"Contrary to popular belief, modern trains are actually pretty quiet and you will not hear a train coming until it is only a few seconds away.”
Bill Kelly, chief operating officer for Network Rail in Wales and Borders, said: "Britain has one of the safest rail networks in Europe and we assess all crossings regularly to make sure they are safe. It is extremely important that users obey the signs at level crossings at all times."
