Interactive railway safety sessions held at Leeds railway station on Monday, 15th June, as part of the station’s Safety Week, attracted over 1,000 Year 6 pupils.

This is the tenth year of the initiative, and it is part of the nationwide Rail Safety Week from Monday, 15th to Sunday, 21st June.

This year, a record 1,030 Year 6 pupils took part, considerably more than 888 children took part last year, and the event now covers a larger area, with schools from Barnsley, Selby, Harrogate, and others in West Yorkshire.

The children took part in activities designed to bring lessons about safety to life, and included:

• Going inside the cab of a Northern train to experience what it is like to be a train driver.
• Using a train simulator to experience real-life decision-making as a train driver.
• A fun challenge to find out how passengers are kept safe during journeys.
• Sessions with British Transport Police, including police dog demonstrations.
• Talks by TransPennine Express, Leeds Rhinos and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution about staying safe on the railways and in water.

The children could also talk to the Transpennine Route Upgrade’s head of safety about improvements to the line between Manchester and York, and how customers, communities and staff are being kept safe during the work.

The Railway Children charity also gave talks about how the charity works to protect and support young people on the railway and how it tackles risky behaviour among children on the railway.

It also works to improve awareness of the dangers of trespassing, and gives young people the knowledge and confidence to make safe decisions so they can avoid becoming distracted while around railway lines.

The importance of rail safety struck home earlier this month when shocking footage of a person narrowly missing being hit by a train travelling at over 100 mph was released.

“Reaching our 10th year of Leeds Station Safety Week is a fantastic milestone, and it’s inspiring to see more than 1,000 young people taking part this year. “By giving pupils the opportunity to experience the station railway in a safe, controlled environment, we’re helping them understand the real-life risks and equipping them with the knowledge they need to stay safe. The enthusiasm we’ve seen from students this week has been incredible, and we’re grateful to all our partners for their support.”

Chloe Creffield, Community Safety Manager, Network Rail

“Leeds Station Safety Week is always a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with children and young people, and help them understand and respect the railways. Its importance can’t be understated as every year we see the serious consequences that can result from trespass, distraction or unsafe behaviour around trains and tracks.

Inspector Richard Price, British Transport Police