Students from two North-East colleges came together to celebrate the winners of railway anti-trespass competition ‘Backtrack’.
At a celebratory event at Newcastle College’s Rail and Civil Engineering Academy, students from UTC (University Technical College) South Durham, a STEM-focused technical college for 14-19 year-olds located on Aycliffe Business Park; and the college’s Academy were awarded prizes for creating engaging short films pledging to not trespass on the railway. Students also experienced a full day at the rail facility and took part in activities to build and reflect on their employability skills.
All the films have been collated into a Backtrack video, which will be used in schools and groups across the country to encourage others to stay safe on the railway. The film and a full list of winners can be viewed on the competition website www.backtrackcompetition.co.uk as well as the application form for entries to BackTrack 2023.
Lesley Moore, Head of Transport at the Newcastle College commented, “Students from UTC South Durham spent the day with our subsidiary diploma rail students taking part in fun activities. It was a really well-planned day focusing on the safety aspects of day-to-day railway usage. A huge thanks to everyone involved in the event and a massive congratulations to the two winning groups.’
Alex Bray, Stakeholder Liaison Manager at CrossCountry, said, “We are proud to support the first in-person Backtrack awards, recognising the creative talents of young people from across the country. The popularity of the competition demonstrates young people’s commitment to being safe around the railway.”
Backtrack is supported by rail industry partners including CrossCountry, LNER, Northern, Network Rail, Nexus, TransPennine Express, Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership, Community Rail Lancashire, Penistone Line Partnership, Southeast Communities Rail Partnership and Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership.
