EMR teach more than 45,000 pupils about rail safety and urge further schools to get involved
- EMR has provided 45,000 school pupils lessons in rail safety
- As part of Rail Safety Week it is urging more schools to sign up to the Rail Safety Pathway
- EMR will be holding three roadshows during Rail Safety Week - in Nottingham, Loughborough and Sleaford
East Midlands Railway (EMR) has provided rail safety classes to more than 45,000 pupils across its network and is calling for more schools to promote the issue.
The classes were delivered through collaboration with Network Rail and Rail Safe Friendly, both of which offer educational programmes to young people.
EMR has also worked closely with Community Rail Partners to deliver ‘Try the Train’ programmes, which include rail safety assemblies, trips on the train, and creating artwork for stations.
As part of Rail Safety Week, it is urging more schools to sign up for the Rail Safety Pathway.
The scheme, which is being run in partnership with Network Rail and Rail Safe Friendly, is a comprehensive three-tiered toolkit aimed at equipping schools with the resources they need to effectively promote rail safety in their communities.
Through EMR's Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, participating schools will have access to a range of engaging educational materials and activities.
The tiers are broken down as follows:
Bronze Tier:
Schools will receive Rail Safety Friendly (RSF) videos suitable for primary and secondary school students.
Silver Tier:
Interactive lessons featuring primary presentations, primary PE lessons, and secondary presentations. EMR activity books, railway safety pamphlets, and links to national resources will also be provided.
Gold Tier:
Schools can collaborate with Community Rail Partners and local station adopters to implement a longer-term scheme of work, including a curriculum-based programme spanning six weeks, "Try the Train" familiarisation sessions, and artwork creation for the station.
This tier will be led by EMR's Community Engagement team and offers deeper engagement with rail safety education within the school community.
Rail Safety Week Roadshows
EMR will be holding three roadshows during Rail Safety Week to promote the Rail Safety Pathways programme and the work it is doing in partnership to make the railways safer for everyone.
The roadshows will be held at:
- Nottingham Station, Wednesday, 26 June 10:00 - 15:00
- Loughborough Station, Thursday, 27 June 10:00 - 15:00
- Sleaford Station, Friday, 28 June 10:00 - 16:00
Grab a copy of EMR's free Rail Safety Activity Book
EMR has created a free activity book for primary school children to help teach them to stay safe while they are near the railway.
The book, which can be downloaded from EMR's website, is full of puzzles, activities, and lots of other fun things. In addition, it has also produced a new pamphlet about rail safety for adults.
Do you know a school that would be interested? If so, visit here for more information and details of how to apply: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/community-rail/rail-safety
Kaye Robinson, Community Engagement Manager at East Midlands Railway, said: "Working with Network Rail and Rail Safe Friendly, we are incredibly proud to have reached over 45,000 pupils with our rail safety classes.
"Educating young people about rail safety is crucial, and we are urging more schools to join us in promoting this vital issue.
"The Rail Safety Pathway offers comprehensive and engaging resources, and we are committed to working with schools and communities to ensure that everyone understands the importance of staying safe around the railway.
"We are excited to host our Rail Safety Week roadshows at Nottingham, Loughborough, and Sleaford stations to further promote rail safety. Please feel free to come along, collect some freebies and have a chat about how we keep people safe."