Avanti West Coast has been recognised for its efforts to educate young people about the dangers of trespass as part of a rail safety initiative which it joined last year.
The intercity operator was presented with a gold disc to acknowledge its contribution to the Rail Safe Friendly Programme – a scheme dedicated to spreading the vital message of rail safety throughout schools in the UK.
Since partnering with Learn Live (a virtual education platform) on the programme in 2024, Avanti West Coast has enabled 181 schools local to its route to access essential knowledge about staying safe on the railway.
The presentation took place at Crewe station as part of a networking event organised by Learn Live and hosted by Avanti West Coast to mark Rail Safety Week – an industry wide and industry led initiative that aims to bring rail safety to the forefront of people’s minds.
Bringing together partners from across the industry and those local to Crewe, the event provided an opportunity to connect, learn what has been delivered as part of the programme and how they can get involved.
Launched in 2023, the project is designed to provide children with crucial rail safety education – helping them to recognise potential hazards in their surroundings. It was inspired by the words of Liz Ballantyne who lost her 11-year-old son, Harrison after he was electrocuted by overhead power lines while attempting to retrieve a football in a rail freight depot. Learn Live aims to have every school in the UK enrolled on the Rail Safe Friendly Programme by 2027.
Avanti West Coast has also extended its partnership with Learn Live for another year to engage more schools on the topic.
Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: “Every child should be aware of how to keep themselves safe on the railway and through our partnership with Learn Live we know how important it is for children to have access to vital rail safety knowledge. So, to join industry partners to discuss how we can provide further education around this topic as part of the Rail Safe Friendly Programme has been brilliant.
“We’re pleased to be supporting this great initiative for another year, so we can continue to make a positive impact on young people in the communities we serve.”
Stuart Heaton, founder of the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, said: “Our partnership with Avanti West Coast has been instrumental in expanding the reach of the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, helping us to educate more young people about crucial rail safety. This collaboration is vital as we work towards our goal of enrolling every school in the UK on the programme by 2027, ultimately saving lives through awareness and education.”
Image credit: Avanti West Coast
