Rail Safe Friendly was launched in March 2023 and delivers video safety content about the dangers of trespassing on railways directly to schools via digital education provider Learn Live, which, since 2019 has reached more than 21 million young people in over 12,500 schools across the UK in partnership with the Trespass Improvement Team at Network Rail.
SLC’s partnership with the programme will see young people from 10 schools educated on the risks of trespassing on or close to Britain’s railways.
Sam Uren, Director of SLC said: “As we help our clients to build new rail stations and open new rail lines, we believe that our partnership with the Rail Safe Friendly programme will help us to have an even bigger social value impact in the communities in which we work by ensuring more school children are educated about rail safety. This learning will help encourage a younger generation to be confident rail passengers in the future.”
Already, over 4,000 UK schools are on board with the Rail Safe Friendly programme and more than 80 industry partners from across the rail sector have sponsored and become partners in it.
The Rail Safe Friendly broadcasts are delivered through live or on demand content digitally into classrooms and assembly halls via the Learn Live channel. The channel also has a moderated, GDPR compliant LIVE CHAT facility to promote interaction and involvement from the schools and colleges taking part in Rail Safe Friendly.
The programme was launched last year by Stuart Heaton, Learn Live and Rail Safe Friendly Managing Director, following the tragic death of 11-year-old Harrison Ballantyne who received a fatal electric shock after climbing over a fence to retrieve his football at a train depot.
Stuart Heaton, Managing Director of Learn Live and Rail Safe Friendly, said: “SLC works on many projects across the UK and we are delighted to welcome them to Rail Safe Friendly. The support of the rail industry is pivotal in ensuring rail safety education is delivered to as many schools and youth organisations as possible.
“Since Rail Safe Friendly launched in March 2023, it has been embraced by more than 80 train operating companies, freight operating companies and small to large organisations working across the rail supply chain, with one goal, to ensure children receive vital education to keep them rail safe.”
The Rail Safe Friendly programme seeks to teach children and young people about the many dangers that are present on the railway. For example, nearly half of the UK rail network is electrified and more than 30 percent uses a third rail to power the train. The third rail has 750 volts running through it, which is enough to kill or seriously injure someone if they stepped on it.
Overhead cables that power trains carry 25,000 volts, more than 100 times the power of electricity in the average home. Electricity from overhead lines can also jump or arc through the air, meaning someone does not have to be touching the line to be electrocuted and killed
Businesses and organisations that want to partner with Rail Safe Friendly, or schools that want to be certified, can register their interest at www.railsafefriendly.com.
