Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has collaborated with several local and rail industry partners to host a rail safety and careers event for local secondary school students.
Over 100 Year 8 students from secondary schools along the Bishop Line attended the event at Locomotion on Wednesday 5 March. They spent the day learning about rail safety and potential careers 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!
Throughout the day, the young people 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.
The students also had the opportunity to find out what it’s like to work in the rail industry by hearing from train drivers, travel safe officers and British Transport Police Officers, as well as those behind the scenes in roles like train performance, planning and strategy.
Jess Young, rail education officer for the Bishop Line CRP, 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.”
Bishop Line CRP extend their 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.
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Bishop Line CRP via their website.
