Students learn life lessons about railway safety with Hull Trains

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Pioneering open access operator Hull Trains hosted an important rail safety event in Hull with partners Network Rail, Northern, TransPennine Express and British Transport Police.

Between 2023-24 there were 2,578 incidents of trespassing recorded on the East Coast Main Line, with 396 of them involving children. As well as putting people at risk, those cases caused 21,708 minutes of delayed trains – that’s a staggering 15 days in total.

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Hull Trains and its partners are committed to protecting people and educating young people about the importance of rail safety. The event was about inspiring the next generation of rail professionals, while at the same time passing on crucial potentially life-saving information.

The event saw local schoolchildren from Hull get the opportunity to experience Hull Trains’ new state-of-the-art train simulator at the company’s Learning and Development Academy in the city’s iconic K2 building. Youngsters also had the chance to use virtual reality headsets to learn more about the dangers of trespassing on the railway.

Students in the state-of the-art Hull Trains simulatorStudents in the state-of the-art Hull Trains simulator
Students in the state-of the-art Hull Trains simulator

The field trip away from the classroom allowed the children to visit Hull Paragon Station where they learnt all about travelling safely on trains, various safeguarding resources and how they could potentially pursue a career in the industry. This event also served to further strengthen the important bond between Hull Trains and the local community.

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Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Hull Trains, said: “Educating young people about being safe on the railway is a vital issue and Hull Trains is proud to work with industry partners to use our world-class Learning and Development Academy in Hull to give students the best possible lessons on how to stay safe and learn about the variety of careers available in the industry.

“We have already had more than 100 members of the community visit our train simulator since it opened earlier this year so we’re pleased to be helping provide potentially life-saving lessons to keep people safe on the railway.”

Paul Jackson, Hull Trains Head of Customer and Stakeholder Engagement, said: “The children were really engaged during the visit. It was a very memorable experience for them, but most importantly I think they learned some crucial safety lessons. I also think we’ve definitely inspired a few for a potential future career at Hull Trains or in the wider rail industry.”

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Young people get the chance to use special virtual reality headsetsYoung people get the chance to use special virtual reality headsets
Young people get the chance to use special virtual reality headsets

Chloe Creffield, Community Safety Manager - North & East Route at Network Rail, commented: “We do everything we can to make sure everyone goes home safe everyday. Raising awareness of the dangers that are on the railway is key as we do all we can but we need everyone when they are on or near the railway to make choices that keep them safe. Plus if at the same time we can inspire more young people to follow a career in the industry, with the likes of Hull Trains, then that’s even better!”

Hull Trains was recently awarded the ‘Great Place to Work’ Award at the National Rail Awards for the company’s commitment to career progression, support towards attracting a diverse workforce and focus on training and development.

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