In conjunction with the National Railway Museum, London North Eastern Railway running a competition for children to design what they believe the train and uniform of the future will look like.

The competition is part of the Railway 200 celebrations and runs until the end of January.

There are two age groups, up to 11 and 12 to 17, and the prizes will be something money can’t buy.

In the age up to 11 category, children are asked to design a uniform they think will be worn by people working on the railway in the future.

Their designs should also consider any new jobs that may be created following future innovations within the railway industry.

The winner will be able to see their design being made-to-measure for them at London North Eastern Railway’s uniform supplier, Dimensions, and receive First Class tickets for them and their family.

Children aged 12 to 17 are asked to visualise what the train of the future will look like, both inside and outside, and should take account the practicalities of building their train.

The winner will enjoy a journey in the driver’s cab of an Azuma train and visit the simulator where potential London North Eastern Railway drivers receive their training. They will also receive First Class tickets for themselves and their family.

The competition is being held as part of the Railway 200 programme, marking the bicentenary of the first passenger journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Entrants should consider how the railway has changed in the last 200 years, and how it will change in the next 200 years.

In producing their designs, entrants should consider how they meet the needs of the company’s customers and colleagues, places on the route, and the planet.

For its part in the competition, the National Railway Museum not only records and showcases Britain’s rich railway history but aims to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.

It anticipates the competition will generate many creative designs and ideas as the museum looks forward to the next 200 years of the railways.

Winning entries will be chosen by a panel of judges from London North Eastern Railway and the National Railway Museum. Further details about the competition and how to enter are online at https://www.lner.co.uk/about-us/rail200/

Around 100 heritage railway volunteers came together at the Severn Valley Railway on Sunday, 5th January for a Railway 200 Get Together to mark the launch of Railway 200. Railway 200 is also being celebrated by the Royal Mint, which has released a commemorative £2 coin to mark the occasion.

“At LNER we are always looking towards the future, exploring how our trains can be more sustainable and how we can continually improve journeys for our customers. This competition is a great opportunity to see how young people see rail evolving. We’re excited to see some brilliant designs and interesting ideas and we may even discover some future rail engineers in the making!”

Linda Wain, Engineering Director at LNER