Nearly 100 Rail industry leaders, education partners and supply chain organisations came together at Amey’s Transpennine Route Upgrade Project Office in Huddersfield for a Rail Safe Friendly networking event, reinforcing a shared commitment to improving rail safety education for children and young people across the UK & Ireland.
Hosted by Amey, the event welcomed existing and prospective Rail Safe Friendly partners for a day of collaboration, knowledge sharing and practical engagement, showcasing how the rail industry is working together to help prevent railway trespass and reduce avoidable incidents involving young people.
As part of the day, attendees heard from representatives of Rail Safe Friendly, Amey and Transpennine Route Upgrade Amey Account Director Jon Humphries, before listening to the powerful and moving account of Harrison’s Story and a Q&A session with Liz Ballantyne. The programme also included guided site visits, interactive Rail Safe Friendly taster sessions, Career Friendly activities and networking opportunities designed to strengthen partnerships across the industry.
The event highlighted the growing importance of proactive education as a key part of improving railway safety.
In a bid to tackle the growing issue of railway trespass among young people, Amey and the Rail Safe Friendly programme continue to deliver an ongoing educational initiative designed to raise awareness, prevent injuries and ultimately save lives across Britain’s railway network.
The Rail Safe Friendly programme enables schools and the rail industry to work together towards a shared goal: equipping children and young people with the knowledge they need to stay safe around railways. By providing free, high-quality educational resources and facilitating direct engagement with rail industry professionals, the programme helps embed life-saving safety messages within school communities nationwide.
The networking event demonstrated the value of collaboration between infrastructure organisations, train operators, contractors, educators and community partners, ensuring that railway safety remains a shared responsibility across the sector.
Through initiatives such as Rail Safe Friendly, organisations across the rail industry are helping schools deliver engaging, age-appropriate safety education while inspiring the next generation to better understand both the risks around the railway and the opportunities for future careers within the industry.
Stuart Heaton, Managing Director of Learn Live and Rail Safe Friendly, commented:
“We are pleased to work with Amey as a Gold-level supporter of the Rail Safe Friendly programme. Their commitment demonstrates the proactive role the rail industry is taking to improve safety education for young people across the country. By working together with rail partners and schools, we can continue delivering impactful, life-saving messages directly into classrooms and communities.
Michelle Gard, Safety Advisor at Amey, commented;
“It is wonderful to come together as rail partners and work together towards a shared goal. Everybody who works in rail understands the dangers, and we have a responsibility to use that knowledge to educate children and provide them with the information and skills needed to stay safe. We have no shortage of volunteers to visit schools to deliver rail safety sessions – people feel very passionately about this campaign – it’s great to be part of it”
As schools ramp down for the summer holidays, we know that trespass is twice as likely over the summer months, a timely reminder of the importance of industry collaboration and shared ownership to educate and protect young people.
The event concluded with a commitment from partners to continue expanding the reach of the Rail Safe Friendly programme, ensuring that even more schools, communities and young people benefit from consistent, high-quality rail safety education in the years ahead.
