IT was full steam ahead for an elated Coventry youngster this half term after he won West Midlands Railway’s (WMR) first-of-a-kind little train conductor competition.
Oliver, aged nine, was among 11 mini-train enthusiasts to have been specially selected to conduct one of the firm’s brand-new trains.
The winners, aged between four and 10, lived out their wildest dreams as they boarded at Birmingham New Street station to assume their responsibilities as mini train conductors for the journey to Shrewsbury.
Under the guidance of the WMR team, Oliver found out what it’s like to be a train conductor, from seeing inside the train’s cab and checking tickets, to greeting customers and making announcements over the public tannoy system.
He will also receive his own whistle, torch, tie, high-viz waistcoat and flags.
The competition launched at the start of the summer holidays, with youngsters applying through sharing a video of up to 30 seconds on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or email.
The search initially intended to find four youngsters, however, this figure was increased to 11 after WMR received 150 submissions from hopeful applicants.
WMRs customer experience director, Jonny Wiseman, said: “Our Little Train Conductor event was certainly one to remember.
“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome our enthusiasts onto our brand-new trains, offering them an experience we hope they hold onto for years to come.
“We were blown away by every entry we received as part of our competition and had a very hard task on our hands trying to choose the winners.
“Perhaps in the future, we’ll even see the return of some familiar faces embarking on their own career as a conductor.”
