Media centre

Monday 28 Jan 2019

Over 32,000 pupils in South Wales taught the importance of rail safety

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Over 50,000 children from 1,000 schools across Wales and the Borders have received vital rail safety education in under three years.

Over 32,000 in South Wales* have benefitted from the sessions, in areas including Cardiff, Caerphilly, Merthyr and Newport.

Network Rail partnered with the Crucial Crew safety initiative in 2015 and has since been delivering sessions to school children across Wales. Crucial Crew delivers life-saving safety and personal, social, health and economic workshops to 10-12-year olds across Wales.

The number of trespass and railway incidents in the Vale of Glamorgan are some of highest of all the counties across the Wales and Borders route. Between April 2017 and March 2018, there have been 44 railway incidents, 33 of these were trespass incidents. The dangers of misusing an electrified railway is being presented as an important safety message during the sessions, as work to electrify the South Wales Main Line continues as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

Emily Coughlin, community safety manager for Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: “We’re so pleased to have reached this key milestone and to have shared our crucial rail safety message with so many young people.

“The Crucial Crew sessions are fun and interactive, so we really engage with young people and drive home these extremely important safety messages.

“As the railway continues to get busier we continue to work even harder to keep young people safe by making them aware of the dangers that exist. Taking a short cut or messing around on the tracks can result in serious life-changing injuries or death.”

Miss Davies, teacher at St Aloysius RC Primary School in Merthyr Tydfil said: “Our experiences with Network Rail were outstanding. The presentation was engaging and extremely powerful in conveying an important message.

“The children learnt a lot about how to stay safe and this has definitely been one of the most important learning experiences they have had.”

The Crucial Crew sessions are currently being hosted for schools across Wales and Borders as Network Rail Wales continues its work and commitment to delivering vital rail safety education to young people.