Media centre

Friday 19 Dec 2003

TRACK SAFETY FOR NORTH WALES

Region & Route:

Network Rail has targeted primary and secondary schools in North Wales to educate children about the dangers of playing on the tracks and vandalising the stations.   Recently schools in Rhyl and Prestatyn were visited by the Network Rail’s External Liaison Officer, Alex Pilling who has been getting this important message across to children in an attempt to reduce the rising number of route crime incidents in the Rhyl and Prestatyn area. Alex visited Ysgol Dewi Sant in Rhyl last month and gave two separate presentations to both infants and juniors.  Alex strongly believes that talking to children about the railway whilst they are young could have an impact on their future behaviour. Alex said: “It’s important to target children between the ages of 4 and 12 in order to make an impression on them before it’s too late.  The message of rail safety is a hard hitting one, there is no light-hearted way of explaining what might happen if you get hit by a train.  This is why it is so important that these children have the knowledge to take responsibility for their own actions.” Rhyl falls into the top 10 hot spots in the North West, and further initiatives are ongoing in the area in order to bring the crime level down.  Wrexham Football Club is supporting Network Rail by visiting schools in Rhyl for coaching sessions and brief the children on rail safety awareness. - more - Crime - 2 Network Rail regional director, Tim Clarke said, “The dedicated staff that work hard to get this important message across are vital to the future of the railway.  By working with the British Transport Police to educate young people it may be possible to bring down the amount of crime on the line as well as being able to save hundreds of lives.”