Over 100 Year 8 students from secondary schools along the Bishop Line attended the event at Locomotion. They spent the day learning about rail safety and potential careers in the rail industry so they not only could become rail safety ambassadors but also be inspired to consider rail when choosing their GCSE options.
They engaged in interactive sessions covering rail safety with virtual reality headsets and drones, potential rail careers and understanding their personality with a MySkills quiz, looking after their mental well-being, designing anti-trespass messaging and understanding the impact of anti-social behaviour.
There was even an opportunity for all the students to find out what it’s like to work in the rail industry from Drivers, Travel Safe Officer and British Transport Police Officers, as well as those behind the scenes in roles like train performance, planning and strategy.
They also met representatives from local colleges who introduced the students to relevant courses to access roles in the rail industry.
The world-famous Flying Scotsman even made an appearance, but it was fair to say that four-month-old trainee police dog, Bruce, stole the show!
Jess Young, Rail Education Officer for the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership said, “I hope that the pupils now have an understanding of the reasons why they need to stay safe around the railway and why that’s so important, and help us to spread that message, but also that they realise the breadth of career opportunities within the rail industry and that they go away today thinking – I didn’t know that role existed in rail and actually that really inspires me, and I’ve met somebody today who does that role and I can see myself in that role in the future.”
A film of the event is below, please watch it and share it.
A huge thanks to all those that supported the event – Bishop Auckland College, British Transport Police, CAF Rail, Community Rail Network, Darlington College, Illumination Wall Art, Locomotion, Lonely Tower Film & Media, LNER, Network Rail, Northern, North East Combined Authority, the Railway Children charity, Shildon Station Adopters, TransPennine Express, Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership and Weardale Railway.
