West Midlands Railway looking for 4 junior train conductors

The four successful train enthusiasts will be able to work alongside real conductors on one of WMR’s new trains for a day during the October half term.

They will also be able to see inside the train’s cab, check tickets, greet customers and make announcements over the tannoy system.

The four successful children will also be given their own whistle, high-viz waistcoat and flags.

Applications for the competition will close on September 15 (Image: West Midlands Railway)

Having officially joined the railway network across the Shrewsbury, Hereford and the newly named Elephant & Bear lines, the new Class 196 trains have more seats and under-seat luggage space, bike storage and greater accessibility.

The new Class 730 trains with the same benefits will be arriving on the Walsall-Wolverhampton and Cross City lines soon.

How to apply to become a junior train conductor

If your little one is interested in being one of the four junior train conductors, here’s how to apply.

Children, via their parents or guardians, are invited to share a video of up to 30 seconds on either Facebook (@westmidsrailway), Instagram (@westmidlandsrailway) or TikTok (@wmrailway), tagging West Midlands Railway and using #LittleTrainConductor.

If you don’t use social media, videos can be submitted via email – marketing@wmtrains.co.uk.

In the video, children will need to tell WMR what they love most about trains, where they last went on a train and why they think they should be a conductor for the day.

Applications close on Friday, September 15 and entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will choose the winners.

You can find out more about the competition via the West Midlands Railway website.

The four chosen children will get to sit inside the train's cab (Image: West Midlands Railway)

Under the guidance of the WMR team, the four chosen children and their parents will experience what it’s really like to conduct a train.

Jonny Wiseman, director of customer experience at West Midlands Trains, said: “We often receive heart-warming letters from little ones sharing their passion for the world of trains. And that’s what prompted us to come up with a way of giving aspiring train enthusiasts the chance to live out their dreams and become a conductor for the day.

“The rail industry is a fascinating place to work and, as well as being a lot of fun, initiatives like this are a great way to inspire the future of rail professionals. We can’t wait to view all the entries and to welcome the four lucky winners aboard one of our brand-new trains.”