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James Myers, 12, was playing the game with a friend beside the tracks when the bottle ended up on the lines. He climbed up railings and dropped down from a bridge onto the tracks.

But an inquest heard James slipped on a wooden sleeper, which was damp due to recent rain, and stumbled onto the 630-voltage current line.

He was electrocuted and died, reports Liverpool Echo.

The hearing was told the youngster and his friend were playing the game, which involves tossing a bottle with liquid in the air and trying to make it land on its base again, and waited for a train to pass before retrieving the bottle.

However, the lines were still live and James suffered “catastrophic” injuries.

Speaking at the inquest at Bootle Town Hall in Merseyside, senior coroner Julie Goulding said: “With that kind of voltage, death is instantaneous, sadly this was a catastrophic fatal injury.

“James was out playing, having fun, but tragically slipped and fell on the live line.”

The cause of death was given as electrocution and a conclusion of accident recorded.

The hearing was told James’ friend attempted to remove him from the line after he was injured, pulling at his clothes, and also attempted CPR.

During the aftermath on Monday October 14, 2019, the friend called to a man walking past with his dog, begging him: “Mister, mister, my friend’s on the line, don’t leave me!”

A nearby neighbour in Bootle spoke to police on a mobile phone and tried to calm down the very upset pal.

James’ heartbroken parents, mum Sharon and dad Kevin, along with his two brothers, and other relatives attended the inquest on Wednesday.

Speaking after the proceedings, Sharon said: “We are disappointed Network Rail have never responded to us in any way at all, with no apology or a reply.  

“His death has damaged our lives forever, we’ll never get to see him grow up, or give us grandchildren, or get married.”

The grieving mum added: “We see kids in the street and we think, what would James be like now?

“The authorities say those railings are 6ft, but it’s much lower, it’s just a stepping stone to a 12-year-old.

“The very next day a friend of James’ was back on the line.

“It took Network Rail up to nine months to fix those railings.”

Dad Kevin, 47, said: “It was easy access to the line.

“It’s like Groundhog Day every day.

“I relieve the moment a police officer came and knocked on the door, when they told me James was dead.”

Describing their son, the parents said James was a “typical 12-year-old, full of energy, on the go all the time, who had a heart of gold.”

Sharon added: “People who knew James said he was cheeky, but also polite and well-mannered.

“He loved his football, loved climbing, he was never still, he loved his movie nights when he’d sometimes be upside down on the couch.”

They said James was a big Everton FC supporter.

In a statement, Chris Pye, Network Rail infrastructure director for the North West, said: “Our heart goes out to the family and loved ones of James, whose life was so tragically cut short.

“Safety is our top priority.

“That includes fencing off the railway so people can’t get on to it because it is dangerous.

“After the tragedy we did a full fence line review and we made the existing perimeter fencing even stronger at this location within four weeks.

“We would remind everyone never to trespass on the railway.”

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