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Monday 5 Jun 2023

New campaign promotes safety on the soon-to-be electrified Glasgow to Barrhead railway line

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Safety campaign educates young people about railway dangers along the Glasgow to Barrhead railway corridor

Network Rail has reached the halfway stage in delivering a safety campaign that’s raising awareness of the changing railway environment, as part of the Barrhead to Glasgow electrification project.

Over the last three months, rail staff have been working closely with Learn Live, an organisation that produces and facilitates safety workshops direct into classrooms.

Together they’ve been educating children and young people along the Glasgow to Barrhead railway corridor about the dangers of the railway and how to stay safe when on or near one.

The safety workshops are being rolled out ahead of an intense, six-week period of work that gets underway in June to prepare the line for electrification.

Since February, Learn Live has been delivering safety workshops to 67 primary and secondary schools and further education colleges along the line of route.  With over half of the education institutions now taken part, the project team is making a final push to complete the remaining schools and colleges before the summer break.

Once the line goes live, the new overhead power cables will carry 25,000 volts of electricity. The safety workshops aim to highlight the new dangers an electrified railway poses to those who trespass on the tracks or accidentally make contact with the overhead wires.

Safety messages will continue to be rolled out at summer camps across the region, with additional messaging being communicated to schools and colleges at the start of the new academic year.

Paul Reilly, senior programme manager for Network Rail, said: “Safety education is vital, especially for young people who might not be aware of the dangers.

“Many young people live close to the Glasgow to Barrhead railway line, as well as using it for travel to school and in their own time.  It’s essential we help young people know how to use the railway safely.

“With a significant change in the railway environment, it is important that we raise awareness of the new dangers associated with an electrified line and encourage people to stay safe.

“The Learn Live sessions allow us to reach hundreds of students across the region, making sure more young people are educated about the dangers.”

The Barrhead to Glasgow line is being electrified as part of a wider Scottish Government investment to decarbonise Scotland’s railway passenger services.