Five Acre Wood Train Travel Training Trip to Travel Safe Travel Smart, Margate
On Tuesday 9th June we headed down to Margate with 10 students from mixed year groups and 3 tutors from Five Acre Wood Snodland, for the culmination of our Travelling with Confidence programme.
As in past years, the school brought their students to Rochester station by mini-bus to enable us to take a direct train to Margate. This allows us to avoid any rushed connections or lengthy waits – or so we thought.
Unfortunately a delay leaving from the school and heavy traffic meant the students arrived somewhat later than planned, we would be very tight on catching the 10:20. We quickly confirmed our platform, Southeastern staff ushered us through the gate line and we called the lift. The main group reached the platform, those that need to use the lift were a short way behind. We all watched our train pull out of the station.
Were we disheartened, not one bit (well maybe a little).
The days session was about travelling safely by rail. We knew we could miss our train but everyone walked and wheeled calmly through the station, did not run up the steps and stayed together. That was the safety first approach to the situation, we didn’t end up with half the group on the train and half left on the platform, we didn’t end up with anyone tripping, falling and getting hurt. Top marks all round for making the right choice.
With a wait ahead of us for the 10:57, we returned to Puccinos for some unplanned refreshments, chatted about train travel and called ahead to let the TSTS team know we were delayed. Lunch was rescheduled to be enjoyed on the train to Margate rather than after the learning at the centre and due to the bad traffic, we planned to take an earlier return train.
On our arrival Nic and Caroline were as amazing as ever, condensing the session without losing any of the important messages; trains are always running, the power is always on. Use the railway properly, keep off the tracks and you keep away from the danger.
The students saw rail safety videos, had refresher learning on using departure screens, matrix boards and help points. They were told how to identify staff on trains and at stations and reassured that help would always be available if they were concerned about their journey.
With an empty train waiting at the station, Nic and Caroline provided an opportunity to try out opening the doors, being careful to mind the gap when getting on and off and moving around inside. Familiarisation sessions like these really do help to build the students’ confidence.
The learning continued whilst we waited for our train home, with Nic and Caroline pointing out poor behaviours from other passengers at the station, being distracted on their phones and the wrong side of the yellow line, and addressed these with the people concerned. Great reinforcement of key rail safety messages.
Our day had seen unplanned changes to our schedule, delivery of “turn up and go” travel assistance and a rather yappy dog sharing our carriage. On our journey home we met some volunteer Rail Pastors, who gave out some sweets with the tutors’ approval and listened as we shared stories of our day.
The students managed all of these situations admirably, testament to the success of our previous familiarisation trips and their confidence that tutors, Kent CRP Officers and Southeastern staff are there to help when things don’t go quite as planned.
