TEACHer’s
guide
electric railway safety
assembly For PRIMARY schools
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
Introduction
Background
The number of railway overhead power lines in Britain is increasing.
For this assembly or
lesson, you will need:
Electrifying the railway will bring many benefits: a greener, quieter, faster and more
reliable service. But it also has safety implications.
Overhead electric lines powering the railway carry an electric current that is 100 times
more powerful than that in the home. Tragically, 69 people have been electrocuted on
the railway in the last ten years.
‘Live Wire’ is a railway electrification safety awareness campaign for young people,
developed by Network Rail as part of its Rail Life youth initiative. It is designed to support
school children, parents and local communities in using electrified railways safely.
A projector and screen
Aim of the assembly
We hope that the assembly will help the children in your school understand:
ELECTRIC RAILWAY SAFETY
ASSEMBLY FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS
• How to recognise electric railways – overhead power lines and the conductor rail
• The benefits of electrification, but also the dangers
G SOON to a line near you
Railway electrification COMIN
The PowerPoint presentation
downloadable from
www.networkrail.co.uk/
safetyeducation
• How to stay safe around electric railways
• The key safety ‘rules’ – the Rail Life ‘Safety Top 3’
Create your own Live Wire stickers to use as prizes for the quiz! You can download the
design to print onto sticky labels from:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
Note to teachers:
This presentation discusses the effects of electricity on the body. You can delete or
amend slides as appropriate for your pupils.
Some willing members of
the audience to take part
in the quiz
‘Live Wire’ stickers
as prizes for the quiz!
You can download
the design from:
www.networkrail.co.uk/
safetyeducation
RailWAY electrification / 2
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 2: What’s this?
What’s this?
You’re looking at the future
• Ask the pupils to put their hands up if they’ve seen one of these types of trains before.
• E
xplain that it’s an electric train and that you know that many pupils may have used
one before – probably as part of a longer journey – on holiday, for example.
(Note: illustration is HS2).
You’re looking at the future of Britain’s railway
Slide 3: And this?
And this?
Conductor (or third) rail
Electric overhead lines
• E
xplain that electric railways are powered by electricity rather than traditional fossil
fuels like diesel or coal.
• H
ighlight for pupils that electricity reaches the train in one of two ways – either via
an overhead power line (left hand picture) or a conductor rail, sometimes called the
third rail (right hand picture).
Electrification is coming to a line near you
Slide 4: Electrification is coming to a station near you
• E
xplain that by 2020, over half (54%) of Britain’s railway network will
be electrified.
• T ell pupils that the exciting news is that many of their local lines will be
‘electrified’ next.
What are some of the benefits
of electric trains?
Faster and quieter railway journeys
More seats on trains
Improved reliability on some of the busiest routes
Better for the environment
Boost for the local economy
Slide 5: What benefits will electrification bring to
your area?
Explain that electrification will bring a number of important benefits:
• Faster and quieter journeys
• More seats on trains
• Improved reliability on some of the busiest routes
• Better for the environment
• Boost for the local economy
Note to teachers:
Electrifying key routes on the railway will improve services for thousands of passengers
and help support economic growth across many of our cities and towns. It will mean
faster and quieter journeys with more seats on trains and improved reliability on some
of the busiest routes.
RailWAY electrification / 3
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 6: The Power Quiz
The Power Quiz
• E
xplain that you want to test the pupils’ knowledge of electric trains in
THE POWER QUIZ.
• E
ncourage pupils to put their hands up when they know the right answer.
Do offer prizes at the end if you like!
Slide 7: K
now your trains? Guess their age…
Know your trains? Guess their age…
ars old
B
rs old
60 yea
200 ye
A
C
rs
19 yea
old
A. 200 years old
B. N
early 60 years old (1955)
C. T his train is just a baby in comparison to the others – it was launched in Britain
in 1994
Note to teachers:
A. This is ‘Puffing Billy’, the oldest surviving steam locomotive, which pulled trucks
from a coal mine in Northumberland to the River Tyne. The mine’s owner wanted to speed up delivery of coal to the waiting ships and knew machines would be faster
than horses. ‘Billy’ was part of a transport revolution that introduced steam railways
across the country. The locomotive’s top speed was about six miles per hour.
B. This poster shows the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath line which, in 1955, became the
first main line over which all passenger and freight train operation was carried out
by an electric train.
C. This is a Eurostar electric train which can travel at speeds of up to 186 miles per hour.
How much of the network is already electrified?
A.  None of the network
B.  A quarter
C.  A third
Slide 8: How much of the network is already electrified?
A. None of the network
B. 2
5% – over 1,913 miles
(61,574 Olympic-sized swimming pools)
C. 3
0% – over 3,000 miles
(98,556 Olympic-sized swimming pools)
Answer: C. 30% of the overall railway network in Britain. Or, over 3,000 miles –
3,062 miles, to be precise. That’s the same length as 98,556 Olympic-sized
swimming pools.
RailWAY electrification / 4
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 9: E
lectric trains have faster journey times
than diesel trains – why?
Electric trains have faster journey times
than diesel trains – why?
A. Electric trains can speed up faster
A. Electric trains can accelerate faster
B. Electric trains can slow down quicker
C. Electric trains have twice as many wheels
B. Electric trains can brake later
C. Electric trains have twice as many wheels
Answer: Both A and B are true. Journey time savings can be made by electric trains
due to the superior performance of electric traction.
Slide 10: What’s the top speed of the fastest electric
train in Britain?
What’s the top speed of the
fastest electric train in Britain?
A. 186 miles per hour
A. 186 mph
B. 169 miles per hour
C. 125 miles per hour
B. 1
69 mph
C. 1
25 mph
Answer: A. Eurostar’s maximum speed is 186mph.
How many passengers can be seated on an electric train?
ore
20% m
A. 20% fewer passeng
ers
than on a diesel train
passengers
B. 20% more l train
than on a diese
C. Both
seat the
ber
same num
Slide 11: H
ow many passengers can be seated on an
electric train?
A. 20% fewer passengers than on a diesel train
B. 20% more passengers than on a diesel train
C. Both seat the same number
Answer: B. Electric trains have 20% more seats compared to diesel trains.
How much Carbon dioxide (CO2) does an
electric train give off, compared to a diesel train?
A. 10% more CO2
per passenger
B. 20-35% less CO2
per passenger
C. About the same
Slide 12: How much carbon dioxide (CO2) does an electric
train give off compared to a diesel train?
A. 10% more CO2 per passenger
B. 2
0–35% less CO2 per passenger
C. A
bout the same
Answer: B. An electric train can give off, on average, between 20% and 35% less CO2
per passenger than a diesel train.
Note to teachers:
This helps improve air quality in pollution ‘hot spots’ such as city centres and main
line stations.
RailWAY electrification / 5
PowerPoint slideshow
How powerful are electric overhead lines?
es
A
100 times greater voltage than the power supply in the average home
100 tim
B
10 times greater voltage than the power supply in the average home
C
The same as the power supply in the average home
Slide 13: How powerful are railway overhead power lines?
A. 100 times greater than the power supply in the average home
B. 10 times as great as the power supply in the average home
C. T he same as the power supply in the average home
Answer: A. At 25,000 volts, overhead power lines carry electricity 100 times greater than
the power supply in the average home.
Note to teachers:
This strength of current is sufficient to easily kill someone. The third rail has 750 volts
passing through it.
When are overhead lines & conductor rails
switched off?
Slide 14: When are overhead power lines & conductor
rails switched off?
A. After the train has gone past
A. After the train has gone past
B. Overnight
C. Never – the electricity
is on all the time
B. O
vernight
C. N
ever – the electricity is on all the time
Answer: C. The third rail and overhead power lines have electricity flowing through them
at all times and are never switched off.
Electricity in overhead x lines can ‘jump’–
but how far?
Slide 15: E
lectricity in overhead power lines can ‘jump’ –
but how far?
A. Two metres - taller than an
average man
C. Five met
res - as
high as a
giraffe
than
es - higher
B. Three metr world record
the high-jump
A. 2 metres
B. 3
metres
C. 5
metres
Answer: B. You don’t have to touch the overhead power lines to get electrocuted. If you
fly or dangle things from bridges near the overhead power lines, the electricity can arc
like lightning or jump up to three metres.
Note to teachers:
A. The average man in the UK is 175.3cm tall (5ft 9 inches) according to the Office of
National Statistics.
B. T he World Record for High Jump was established by Cuban athlete Javier Sotomayor
at Salamanca, Spain on 27 July 1993 when he jumped 2.45m (8 foot ½ inch).
C. T he adult regulation size football goal is 2.44 metres high.
RailWAY electrification / 6
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 16: How hot is the power line?
How hot is the power line?
If you came into contact with a power line on the railway, the
temperature could reach 5,000 degrees centigrade. How hot is that?
A. Hotter than
it takes to
melt iron
lava from the
B. Hotter than st volcano
world’s hotte
C. Hotter than
the surface
If you came into contact with an overhead power line on the railway, the temperature
could reach 5,000 degrees centigrade. How hot is that?
of the sun
A. Hotter than it takes to melt iron
B. H
otter than lava from the world’s hottest volcano
C. H
otter than the surface of the sun
Answer: A, B and C are all correct.
Note to teachers:
A. Iron melts at around 1,535 degrees centigrade.
B. K
ilauea on Hawaii is the world’s hottest volcano. The core lava temperature is around
1,050 degrees centigrade (Pinkerton, James, Jones, Lancaster University. Pub. Journal
of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, March 2002).
C. 5
,000 degrees centigrade is the average temperature on the surface of the sun
(the core is 15 million degrees!) Source: (NASA).
Slide 17: What happens when you get electrocuted
What happens when you get electrocuted?
Hands, heels, head: points of
contact with the electrical
source and the ground receive
the most severe burns.
Lungs:
breathing is
paralysed.
Nervous system: disrupts the tiny electrical
impulses that enable you to sense, move,
think, respond and remember.
Heart: ‘flutters’ and fails to
pump blood properly. Goes
into cardiac arrest,
resulting in death.
Electricity seeks the easiest path to the
ground. Human bodies contain 70% water –
a great conductor for electricity.
Note to teachers:
This slide and the one that follows go on to explain the effects of electrocution on
different parts of the body.
1.Electricity seeks the easiest path to the ground. Human bodies contain 70% water a great conductor for electricity.
2.Hands, heels, head: points of contact with the electrical source and the ground
receive the most severe surface burns.
3. Lungs: the electrical force paralyses lungs.
4.Heart: your heart’s rhythm is disturbed, your heart ‘flutters’ and fails to pump blood
properly. With prolonged exposure to the current it will go into cardiac arrest and death.
RailWAY electrification / 7
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 18: When you get electrocuted Continues from previous slide.
When you get electrocuted…
Spine/Bones: being
thrown by force of the
current or the strength of
muscle contractions can
lead to broken bones or
an injured spine.
Muscles: sometimes you grip the
electrical source so you can’t let go!
Abdomen: strong muscle
contractions throw you clear
of an electrical source and
can damage internal organs.
Skin and tissue: electricity burns
beneath skin and the burns blacken
and melt surface skin and tissue.
FACT: 9 out of 10 people die from the electric shock received
from getting too close to railway electric overhead lines.
5.Skin and tissue: high voltage electricity burns organs beneath the skin, while surface
skin and tissue is blackened and melts
6.Abdomen: internal organs can be injured by strong muscle contractions throwing
you clear of an electrical source
7.Spine/Bones: being thrown by the force of the current or the strength of muscle
contractions can lead to broken bones or an injured spine
FACT: 9 out of 10 people die from the electric shock received from getting too close
to railway overhead power lines
Spot the hazard
SIGNALLING LOCATION
CASE
650 volts
OVERHEAD
LINES
25,000 volts
ELECTRICITY
CAN ‘JUMP’
3 METRES!
BURIED
CABLE
25,000
volts
3rd RAIL
750 volts
Slide 19: Spot the hazard
Note to teachers:
This slide shows a typical section of electrified railway track. Ask pupils to guess where
the electricity is in the picture. With each click, electrical equipment and its voltage will
be revealed. The slide ends by revealing that electricity can jump and arc up to 3 metres
– so electricity can be found around the whole of the track area.
1. Electric overhead lines: 25,000 volts.
2. Signalling location case: 650 volts.
3. Conductor or third rail: 750 volts.
4. Buried cable: 25,000 volts.
5. Whole screen: electricity can jump and arc as much as 3 metres.
The answers to the quiz have shown us:
Electric trains are faster, more efficient and
greener than diesel trains.
The electricity powering the railway is always
on, and can kill.
Electricity in overhead lines can ‘jump’ up to
three metres – you don’t have to touch the
overhead lines to be electrocuted.
Slide 20: The answers to the quiz have shown us:
– Electric trains are faster, more efficient and greener than diesel trains.
– The electricity powering the railway is always on, and can kill.
–Electricity in overhead lines can ‘jump’ up to three metres – you don’t have
to touch the overhead power lines to be electrocuted.
RailWAY electrification / 8
PowerPoint slideshow
A final quick recap…
Slide 21: A final quick recap
Note to teachers: you can play a short infographic, also downloadable from:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
Click on the play button at the bottom left of the square to play the video.
You may wish to remind pupils of the key facts from today’s assembly:
–Overhead power lines carry electricity 100 times greater than the power supply in
your home.
–9 out of 10 people die from the electric shock received from getting too close to
railway overhead power lines.
Live news
Slide 22: L
ive News – electrifying the railway
“Ask the experts”.
Note to teachers: you can play a short film where children put their questions to
a project director working on the electrification of the railway line. The film is also
downloadable from:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
Click on the play button at the bottom left of the square to play the video.
Stay safe around the railway
Stay clear
of the tracks
Is it worth putting
your life on the line?
Slide 23: S
tay safe around the railway – stay clear
of the tracks
Note to teachers: Slides 23–26 conclude the presentation with a summary of the
Rail Life ‘Safety Top 3’.
Stay clear of the tracks. Is it worth putting your life on the line?
Stay safe around the railway
Use the
level crossing
Shortcuts across the
railway can kill.
Stay safe around the railway
Know the signs
Slide 24: S
tay safe around the railway – use the
level crossing
Use the level crossing. Shortcuts across the railway can kill.
Slide 25: Stay safe around the railway – know the signs
Know the signs. Be alert to railway signs. They could save your life.
Be alert to railway signs.
They could save your life.
RailWAY electrification / 9
PowerPoint slideshow
Slide 26: S
tay safe around the railway – remember
the Rail Life ‘Safety Top 3’
Overhead power lines and tracks are always on and can kill. Remember the Rail Life
‘Safety Top 3’.
– Stay clear of the tracks. Is it worth putting your life on the line?
– Electricity can jump up to three metres.
– Don’t play with kites or balloons near overhead lines.
– Use the level crossing. Shortcuts across the railway can kill.
– Know the signs. Be alert to railway signs. They could save your life.
Slide 27: Rail Life
Explain to pupils that information on staying safe around the railway is available from
Network Rail, the organisation that runs the railway lines and many of the large stations.
The website: www.rail-life.co.uk has lots of videos and facts, including more information
on the Live Wire campaign.
Rail Life is run by Network Rail
Note to teachers:
To find out more and download lesson plans and other resources, please go to:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
Appendix/Slide 28: Look what’s happening in your area
Look what’s happening in your area
2013
r to
Mancheste ws:
e-Willo
Newton-l
by
completed
2013
December
2016
2014
l
oo
r to Liverp
Mancheste to Wigan:
& Huyton
by
completed
4
201
December
l:
Blackpoo
Preston to May 2016
by
n:
completed
r to Presto
Mancheste Dec 2016
by
completed
Explain to pupils the facts about what’s happening really close to their school.
Insert the relevant dates and locations for your area.
For further information refer to your local fact sheet, available from:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation
electric railway safety
assembly For primary schools
To find out more please go to:
www.networkrail.co.uk/safetyeducation