Pukerua Bay pupils help with launch

Pukerua Bay School pupils took the train into Wellington last Monday to help spread the word about rail safety.

Pukerua bay School principal Tara Taylor-Jorgensen said 24 children travelled into the city to help launch a new railway safety campaign, something she said is important for the school.

‘‘Being in Pukerua Bay we have a train station that a lot of children have to cross on their way home. They also have to cross the highway and we do a lot of road and train safety programmes.’’

She said the trip into Wellington highlighted the safety messages the pupils had been learning in the classroom.

‘‘There’s nothing better than going on a train when you’re learning about it. they had an absolute blast and made our school very proud.’’

TrackSAFE NZ manager Megan Drayton said people forget that when they approach a crossing they’re taking a risk.

‘‘They get used to signage and become overly familiar with the area... distractions like cellphones mean that people often don’t consciously check for trains.’’