Educational Resources
There are a range of fun and educational resources for different age groups on staying safe on the railway, sustainable travel, engineering challenges and railway careers. We have compiled a list of websites and resources you may find useful. If you would like to suggest a resource we could share please do get in touch.
Network Rail
Network Rail’s educational resources offer STEM activities and engineering challenges to teach young people about careers on the network and about environmental sustainability. Their railway safety resources offer games, classroom activities and films which highlight some of the key dangers around the railway and look at what you can do to stay safe.
Switched On
Through a range of age targeted films, interactive games and classroom activities, Switched On teaches children aged 3 – 16 to be aware of risky behaviour and develop hazard-spotting skills around the railway.
East Midlands Railway
East Midlands Railway have produced a number of educational materials including leaflets, videos and the Miles Rail Safety Activity Book featuring fun puzzles and activities.
Avanti West Coast
Banish the boredom and make your way to the Imagination Station with Avanti’s trains, games and colouring-in. Create a 3D paper model of a pendolino, name the train part and platform dispatch quiz.
Cross Country Trains
These resources focus on the Key Stage Two age group with an aim to encourage conversations around sustainability at home and support the national curriculum in teaching Key Stage Two students about sustainable travel. Resources include a video, activity sheet and teaching video.
Arlo’s Adventure
Arlo’s Adventure is a fantastic ‘pick a path’ rail safety book, written by one of Freightliners train drivers, Bessie Matthews. The book is designed to help you understand the risks of the railway, so you can be safe. Can you join in with Bessie and help Arlo the Badger make his travel on a train safely to see his friends. Which path will you choose for Arlo to take… was it the safe choice?
Duck Bill’s Great Railway Adventure
Download our booklet and go adventuring with Duck Bills on a fun story trail through Stoke as you help Duck Bills to find out more about the history of Stoke and the railway. Follow the story trail map from Stoke Library to Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station discovering lots of interesting facts and completing challenges along the way.
For Schools and Youth Groups
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains rail safety game educates young people about the importance of keeping safe at train stations, and increases confidence for first-time train users. A representative from West Midlands Railway Team can visit your school to facilitate the session.
Platform Rail
Platform is an award-winning community rail education scheme which connects schools and young people to the rail industry. With lots of rail-related resources, this is a great website for KS1, KS2 and KS3 level resources. Whilst aspects of this programme are not available in Staffordshire the resources are available to download and use.
Backtrack
The Backtrack competition is open to primary and secondary school age children and aims to reduce the amount of railway trespass by encouraging young people to share important anti-trespass messages with their friends and family. The Backtrack competition runs annually and this year is open for entries from 1st September 2024 to 31st March 2025.
RailSafe Friendly
Rail Safe Friendly provides schools and the rail industry with an opportunity to work together towards a common goal to improve rail safety in schools using content from Network Rail. Schools and students can participate in interactive sessions where they are encouraged to work towards Bronze, Silver, and Gold safety recognition levels. The campaign delivers rail safety messages through live or on demand content digitally into classrooms and assembly halls via the Learn Live platform.
