Media centre

Wednesday 27 Jul 2016

Network Rail warns children and young adults to stay safe ahead of the school summer holidays

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

With the summer holidays about to start, Network Rail visited a Worcestershire school to advise children of the need to always use level crossings correctly and the dangers of trespassing on the railway.

Nearly 40 students from years five and six at Blakedown Church of England Primary School, between Kidderminster and Stourbridge, took part in the day which involved an interactive presentation and a visit to the level crossing at Blakedown station.

During the visit the children were told about the different types of level crossings on the railway and most importantly how to stay safe whilst using them.

The day was part of Network Rail’s Summer of Safety campaign aimed at promoting the correct use of the railway for everyone.

Joshua Hall from Network Rail, who visited the school, said: “Network Rail is a safety critical company so it is really important for us that children learn how to correctly behave on and around the railway.

“Getting key information about how to correctly use level crossings and the dangers of trespassing on the railway to teachers, parents and children allows for better knowledge which will help everyone to stay safe during the school summer holidays.”

Miss Alton, who teaches year 5 and year 6 pupils at Blakedown Church of England primary school said “I thought the event was extremely useful as it will help the children to become safer on an independent level.

“It was important for the children to learn about the variety of crossings as well as the one which is local to them to give them a wider experience of how level crossings work.”

Network Rail looks after over 6,000 level crossings across Britain with the crossing at Blakedown station being just one of over 700 on the London North Western Route which runs between London Euston and the north of England via the West Midlands.