Hull schoolgirl designs railway safety poster with important message

11-year-old Paula from Adelaide Primary School won a competition run by TransPennine Express (TPE) as part of an ongoing partnership with the school. 

Pupils were asked to design a poster to remind people of the importance of staying safe while travelling on the rail network.   

Trespass is a huge problem on the railway with around 19,000 recorded incidents each year - almost one for every mile of track in the country. 

The competition was organised as part of Rail Safety Week, which runs from Monday 24 June to Sunday 30 June 2024. Led by Rail Forum, the week focuses on rail safety for all. 

The poster will now be displayed across TPE’s 19 stations and Paula was awarded a Kindle Fire tablet for her winning design. 

Steve O'Callaghan, British Transport Police Liaison Officer at TransPennine Express said: “It was amazing to see all the innovative and creative work from the pupils at Adelaide Primary School.  

“The standard was so high that it made it really hard to select the winner. Well done to Paula, her poster will be displayed in poster cases and on station screens across our network, reminding people to stay safe and away from train tracks.”  

TPE has recently received the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme accreditation for the second year in a row.   

The accreditation from BTP and the Department for Transport recognises the vast amount of work taking place across TPE to make the railway a safer place for everyone.   

Paula’s Year 6 teacher Rachael Turvey said: This was a really positive activity which opened up conversations about how to stay safe around the railway, and what they can do to keep others safe.