Students from across the Cowra region stepped back in time while learning important safety lessons during Rail Safety Week, with the Lachlan Valley Railway (LVR) hosting special heritage train excursions for local schools.

Students and teachers from Woodstock Public School, Holmwood Public School and Greenethorpe Public School visited Cowra Railway Station to learn about staying safe around railway lines before boarding LVR’s historic 1920s-era CPH rail motor for a journey towards the Lachlan River bridge and back.

Lachlan Valley Railway Chairman John Healey said the event combined rail safety education with the opportunity for students to experience a piece of local history.

“Rail Safety Week gave us the chance to engage with local schools and talk to students and teachers about safety around railway lines,” Mr Healey said.

“Then the added bonus was being able to take them for a train ride down towards the Lachlan River bridge and back, where we could continue the conversation and help raise awareness of being safe around rail corridors.”

For some students, it was their first-ever train journey.

“One of the things we love best about operating heritage trains in New South Wales is that quite often for kids it is the first time they have ever been on a train,” Mr Healey said.

“Let alone one where you can open the windows and experience the sights, sounds and smells of travelling through the countryside.”

Woodstock Public School Principal Kate Lofthouse said the excursion provided students with a valuable opportunity to learn about rail safety while experiencing a unique piece of local heritage.

“The students were lucky to be able to be involved in this excursion and enjoyed learning about how to stay safe around trains, both when on the platform and also when travelling in a car,” Ms Lofthouse said.

The historic nature of the train ride was a highlight for many students, who were fascinated by the heritage carriage.

“The children really enjoyed being on an ‘olden days’ train as they called it,” Ms Lofthouse said.

“They were very surprised to learn that it was even older than me; their teacher and principal.”

The journey also created opportunities for students to connect with the surrounding landscape.

“Some of the students really enjoyed being able to see the different livestock, including sheep and cattle, that were seen along the line,” Ms Lofthouse said.

“One student really wished that they could catch the train to school every day.”

Students learnt practical safety lessons that will help them around railway environments and level crossings.

“They learnt that it is really important to stay back behind the yellow line when on a station, and that you should stay seated when the train is moving,” Ms Lofthouse said.

“They were really surprised that there were no seat belts in the train, which led to a discussion about the differences between other forms of transport and trains.”

Students also learnt that rail safety extends beyond railway stations.

“They learnt that it is really important for their mums and dads to be aware of railway crossings on roads and to stop if the lights are flashing at a crossing,” Ms Lofthouse said.

“We did actually see some cars and a truck stopped at the crossing in Cowra as the train rolled through.”

Ms Lofthouse said the excursion also demonstrated the value of providing local students with opportunities to connect with their community.

“This is a really great opportunity for our kids to build connections with their local community and to also understand what life was like in the past and how we can build on that for their future,” she said.

Holmwood Public School Primary Teacher Suhadi Sutherland said the heritage train excursion was a particularly valuable experience because it combined rail safety education with local history.

“The heritage train trip was a fantastic experience for our students as part of Rail Safety Week,” Ms Sutherland said.

“The excursion was highly valuable because the Lachlan Valley Railway is a key part of our town’s history and gave our students the chance to imagine what life and transport would have been like 100 years ago.”

Students were also given a dedicated rail safety talk by LVR staff, helping reinforce the importance of behaving responsibly around trains.

“The staff at the railway also gave our students a talk about rail safety and how they can behave responsibly around trains,” Ms Sutherland said.

For Holmwood students, however, the journey itself was just as memorable.

“The highlight of the train ride was definitely the beautiful views of the sweeping landscapes of Cowra, which had students glued to the windows,” she said.

“The day started with rain but turned beautifully sunny, and this had the kids in good spirits. The grazing baby goats and sheep had the students squealing with excitement!”

The heritage operation also sparked plenty of curiosity among the students.

Ms Sutherland said they were fascinated by the way the train’s lights had to be changed when the train changed direction.

“Students were fascinated by the need to change the direction of the lights as the train changed directions,” she said.

“They watched curiously and asked questions while watching staff members open the side doors and physically match the direction of the lights to the direction of travel.”

The train whistle was another unexpected highlight.

“The sound of the train whistle was also exhilarating for students and was a popular topic of conversation during the train ride,” Ms Sutherland said.

The excursion provided a hands-on opportunity for students to discuss some of the risks associated with railway platforms and trains.

Ms Sutherland said students learnt the importance of standing behind the yellow line when waiting for a train and being aware of the gap between the platform and the train.

“Some of the key rail safety messages that students took away included standing behind the yellow line when waiting for a train and being wary of the gap between the platform and the train,” she said.

Importantly, students also considered what could happen if an item fell into the gap.

“Students discussed how it’s not just people that could fall into the gap but personal items, and they engaged in conversations about how to retrieve these items safely,” Ms Sutherland said.

For Mr Healey, level crossing safety remains one of the most important messages for regional communities.

“The Central West still has a lot of crossings that don’t have boom gates or lights,” he said.

“It is really important that people understand that trains cannot stop quickly.

"A vehicle can stop much faster than a train, so the responsibility has to be shared by motorists.”

The train travelled across the Brougham Street level crossing, providing a real-life demonstration of the importance of motorists taking care around railway crossings.

The Rail Safety Week excursions also highlighted the important role heritage rail can play in helping younger generations understand their local history.

Ms Sutherland said the experience gave Holmwood students an opportunity to develop a stronger connection with their community.

“Having the opportunity to engage meaningfully with local heritage experiences is important for students as it promotes a sense of pride and belonging in their community,” she said.

“Their experience at the Lachlan Valley Railway had students questioning what the past was like and what has changed.”

“The connection with the community that students developed through this experience is highly valuable.”

The LVR depot has been the organisation’s spiritual home since the late 1980s after the State Rail Authority moved from the site.

Following the suspension of services on the Cowra line in 2009, LVR’s collection was divided between different locations.

In 2017, the organisation established its main line operations at the former Orange railway depot while continuing to maintain a strong connection with Cowra.

In recent years, LVR has secured a heritage operator’s licence for a section of the Cowra line, allowing heritage rail operations between the railway station and the Lachlan River bridge approach.

Mr Healey said the return of heritage rail experiences to Cowra has helped reconnect the community with an important local asset.

“Just because we don’t have passenger rail operating, it is still an active line,” he said.

“Rail safety is not just something to think about during Rail Safety Week. It is an ongoing message.”

For students from Woodstock, Holmwood and other local schools, the excursion offered much more than a train ride.

It was an opportunity to experience local history, explore the Cowra landscape, ask questions and take home practical lessons about keeping themselves and others safe around railways.