The Finishing Line

Not to be confused with the 2009 documentary by Noël Martin.
The Finishing Line
Directed by John Krish
Produced by James Ritchie
Written by Michael Gilmour
John Krish
Distributed by British Transport Films
Release dates
 1977
Country United Kingdom

The Finishing Line is a short film produced in 1977 by British Transport Films, warning about the dangers children face on railway lines. Although it is not strictly a public information film, it is often considered to be so by fans of the genre. It was broadcast in its entirety several times on television, but was so controversial that it was replaced less than two years later by the slightly less graphic Robbie. It won at least two creative awards: Certificate of Appreciation (Top Category) and Oberhausen Mention at the Festival of Youth Paris. The film was also shown in several schools by invitation. The film was directed by John Krish, written by Krish and Michael Gilmour, and produced by James Ritchie. It was filmed in the vicinity of the then-closed Watton-at-Stone railway station, Hertfordshire. The bridge that the boy at the beginning / end of the film is sitting on is the southern side of the Station Rd railway bridge. The main filming area for the actors was located immediately southwest of the bridge sandwiched between Church Lane and the railway line. The "stone throwing" 'competition' was filmed immediately north of the railway bridge on the western side embankment where the AWS signal ramp is. The "Great Tunnel Walk" scene was filmed about 3.5 Miles (5.63 km) south of the current Watton-at-Stone railway station. The 'start' was at the northern portal and 'finish' was at the southern one.

Plot

The film begins with a headmaster's voice telling a large group of children he knows they have been playing on the railway with a young boy sitting on a railway bridge wall. As he ponders on his thoughts, he considers the idea of holding a school Sports Day-style event on the railway line. The rest of the film shows his imagined idea of what would happen, with children being split into four competitive teams to take part in different activities often carried out by young people trespassing on the railway. Three "games" are held, in which the children are challenged to break through the fence surrounding the railway line, play "chicken" with the trains and throw things at passing trains. Each time we see the tragic consequences of these activities, such as one scene where a driver and passenger are left badly injured by broken glass after a child throws a brick through the train window. The final task is for the children to run through a tunnel, but after they enter, we see a train approaching. Only four children cross the end of the tunnel, each of them injured terribly. One boy who crosses the finish line collapses as the overhead speaker announces the final results. The film finishes as a group of adults appear and go into the tunnel to carry out the bodies of the dead and injured children, which are then laid out in a long line along the railway track. The camera pans out to show all the dead and bloodied children along the track before returning to the boy sitting on the railway bridge wall, who seems to be reconsidering the idea.

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