Avanti West Coast helps West Midlands pupils learn about staying safe on the railway
Essential safety tips shared to school children visiting West Midlands Fire Service’s Safeside centre.
- Train operator teamed up with West Midlands Fire Service for Rail Safety Week
- Essential safety tips shared on visit to unique indoor village educational centre
- Avanti West Coast engaged with over 140 school children at the centre which has a dedicated rail section
School children from the West Midlands have been given essential tips to stay safe on the railway as part of an ongoing commitment by Avanti West Coast.
The operator supported more than 140 pupils who visited a unique indoor village educational centre, as part of Rail Safety Week.
West Midlands Fire Service’s Safeside centre, located next door to their Birmingham headquarters, is dedicated to teaching everyday safety to children, young people and adults in a controlled environment. It has several areas which include a bank, bus, road, shop, canal and railway line – featuring a life-size Class 177 train.
West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) provide a variety of programmes at the centre, tailored to different audiences, that address real-life issues, such as preparing primary school children for travelling to secondary school.
Rail Safety Week, which is running from 15 – 21 June, is an industry-wide initiative that focuses on highlighting railway safety. It provides an opportunity to engage young people on the risks around tracks, trains and overhead wires, and promote safer behaviours. In the last year, there have been over 30 reported incidents across the Avanti West Coast network of under 18s trespassing on the railway.
This work with WMFS is part of Avanti West Coast’s ongoing commitment to raise awareness of rail safety amongst young people who live across the regions that it serves. Last year, the operator was recognised for its efforts as part of the Rail Safe Friendly programme – a scheme dedicated to educating children across schools in the UK, since joining in 2024.
David Savage, from Community Rail Lancashire and who leads Avanti West Coast’s school engagement programmes, said: “Every child should be given the knowledge to act safely around the railway, and for this year’s Rail Safety Week I was delighted to be able to represent Avanti West Coast at the West Midlands Fire Service’s highly impressive Safeside centre.
“Working alongside the fire service, they share in Avanti’s passion for safety and to ensure that the education of safe behaviours is essential for young people.”
Emily Fernandez, WMFS’s Assistant Director of Prevention, said: “WMFS Safeside plays a key role in our prevention work, helping to build safer, stronger and healthier West Midlands communities. It’s an immersive learning safety ‘village’, that helps thousands of children and young people every year to understand real‑life risks in a safe and controlled environment.
“We were excited to partner with Avanti West Coast during Rail Safety Week. Rail safety is part of our year-round offering, designed to share the knowledge and confidence to make safe choices around railways, platforms and level crossings.”
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About Avanti West Coast
Avanti West Coast, operator of intercity rail services on the West Coast Main Line, is a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia, delivering a cleaner, greener railway that drives the West Coast forward. Avanti West Coast serves key UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow as well as North Wales.
We’re on a mission to be the transport of choice – connecting customers and communities along the West Coast. Our award-winning Pendolino refurbishment programme transformed the UK’s hardest working fleet with all 56 of the iconic trains providing best-in-class comfort.
Our Evero fleet, which offers more seats, improved comfort, and a substantial cut to carbon emissions, was introduced in June 2024 and is the result of a £350m investment in sustainable travel. Built by Hitachi, the 23-strong fleet, consisting of 10 seven-carriage electric trains and 13 five-carriage bi-modes, serves routes from London to the Midlands, Chester, North Wales and the North West.
We want to make a positive difference to the people and places we serve – helping to drive economic growth, green travel, and break down barriers. Our efforts to contribute to society and enable people to benefit from the opportunities rail offers through purpose-led initiatives including Feel Good Field Trips and award-winning female driver recruitment campaign has seen us create over £1billion in social value impact.
We’re tackling climate change wherever we can, from reducing energy and water use to training drivers in eco-driving techniques and sourcing food and drink from local suppliers. Our goal is to be net zero carbon by 2031. We’re on track.
For the latest news, visit the Avanti West Coast Media Centre: https://newsdesk.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Press Office: 0845 000 3333
About West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the second largest fire and rescue service in England, serving an area of 902 sq km and more than 2.9 million people across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
We serve one of the country’s most diverse and multicultural communities, including major urban centres, industrial areas and some of the UK’s highest-risk infrastructure. Some parts of the West Midlands also face significant levels of deprivation, where wider health and socio-economic factors can increase the risk of fire and other emergencies.
Our 38 fire stations are strategically located across the region and supported by our headquarters in central Birmingham. We have more than 1,350 firefighters and officers, supported by staff in West Midlands and Staffordshire Fire Control and specialist support teams.
We operate a blended fleet of more than 70 vehicles, including fire engines, Brigade Response Vehicles and specialist vehicles such as aerial hydraulic platforms, enabling us to respond safely, assertively and effectively to fires, road traffic collisions, rescues and a wide range of other emergencies.
Prevention, protection and response are at the heart of what we do. Through safety education, safe and well visits, business fire safety work, emergency response and partnership activity, we are working to make the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier.