A rail safety plea has been issued to parents

The girls, who were aged about eight, were carrying the toddler off the track and onto the railway platform at Hillington East station last week.

The incident was highlighted by British Transport Police and Network Rail who have renewed a plea to parents to keep their children off railway lines.

In another incident, a driver spotted teenagers playing 'chicken' on a line.

The driver of the Lanark-bound train who spotted the two girls and the toddler on the Glasgow to Paisley line reported it as a "near miss".

There is a notable rise in the number of trespass and vandalism offences that occur between April and September when lighter nights and longer evenings encourage children to play and socialise outside their home Ron McAulay Network Rail

The second incident also involved a Lanark-bound train.

Rail and transport police chiefs said parents must tell their children to keep off the tracks.

On Wednesday of last week, two seven-year-old children smashed signals with a pick axe handle at Cowlairs West.

The vandalism delayed thousands of rail passengers and 58 trains and five train services had to be cancelled.

Crime cost

In Cumbernauld, vandals smashed the lens of a signal and youths were seen throwing a plastic road barrier on to the line at Giffnock.

Ron McAulay, Regional Director of Network Rail Scotland, said: "I would urge parents to tell their children to stay off the railway.

"Children don't recognise the dangers of walking or playing on the tracks.

"There is a notable rise in the number of trespass and vandalism offences that occur between April and September when lighter nights and longer evenings encourage children to play and socialise outside their home."