Train enthusiast, Ewan Kaczanow, enjoyed a birthday surprise with a VIP tour of Exeter St Davids station.

Rail operator Great Western Railway treated Ewan to a ride on one of its Intercity Express Trains, showed him inside a train driver’s cab and took him into the station signal box.

The South Tawton Primary School pupil is a huge fan of GWR’s new bullet-style trains.

What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below.

What did the officials say?

The VIP tour was made possible following an appeal by mum Teresa Pearse

She said:

“Ewan is totally obsessed with trains and I can’t thank GWR enough for giving him such a memorable day. This really has been his best birthday ever.”

Ewan said:

“I’ve had a brilliant day. The Intercity Express Trains go so fast and I can’t believe I got to see inside the driver’s cab. I’ll never forget it.”

GWR customer ambassador Tracey Morgan welcomed Ewan to the station and helped set up his VIP tour.

Tracey said:

“It’s wonderful to meet someone with so much enthusiasm for trains. I’m glad we were able to make it such a special birthday for him.”

Dr Paul Clark, director of health, safety and environment for Network Rail (Wales and Western), said it was great that Ewan had such interest in the railway.

He said:

“With more than 6,500 level crossings around the country, awareness of level-crossing safety is vitally important, especially for those around Ewan’s age.

“Studies show that younger people respond well to information passed on to them by their peers, so Ewan’s knowledge and enthusiasm are fantastic for spreading the message about safe use of level crossings to school-age children.”

Where Next?

RailAdvent Plus
   Free Pictures, prints and streaming video!
News Homepage
   For the Latest Railway News
RailAdvent Online Shop
   Framed Prints, DVD’s / Blu-Ray’s and more
LocoStop Community
   Come and share your railway pictures
Mainline Steam Info
   Upcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements