Rail ABC for the third time with EU funding

The Rogatek Rhinoceros returns in a new edition! The Office of Rail Transport has signed a contract with the Centre for EU Transport Projects, obtaining more than PLN 62 million in funding from the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment programme in the 2021-2027 perspective. This allows for continued efforts to improve rail safety.

“The Centre for EU Transport Projects focuses on supporting Beneficiaries in the rational and effective use of EU funds when implementing projects involving the construction or modernisation of transport infrastructure, including the purchase of equipment and vehicles. Regardless, there is no shortage of educational or promotional projects in the CEUTP’s portfolio of funding contracts. Some of the projects, thanks to their value and attractiveness and many years of funding from the European Funds, have developed not only a unique brand, but also recognition. It is very important that the European Funds are supporting the implementation of this rail safety project for the third time.” – says Joanna Lech, Director of the Centre for EU Transport Projects.

More participants and a wider target group

The Rail ABC III campaign is a continuation of an educational journey aimed at teaching people how to behave appropriately near the tracks and how to react in dangerous situations. The new edition of the project includes even more participants and widens the target group.

Education is mainly aimed at children – future drivers and public transport users. Nevertheless, children who learn safety rules from an early age often influence the behaviour of adults by reminding them of the right attitudes.

“By educating children today, we are also creating a safer tomorrow. All the activities carried out during our campaign proved to be extremely attractive, giving the youngest children a chance to remember the educational message. This is where the phenomenon of the Rail ABC Campaign – now in its third edition – lies. With this launch, we are also creating an attractive message to young people in the final grades of primary school.” – emphasises Dr Ing Ignacy Góra, President of the Railway Transport Authority.

ORT educators provide activities that combine learning with fun. Interactive applications, state-of-the-art technology, competitions and games support the learning process on railway safety. Children and young people develop cognitive skills such as attention and cause-and-effect thinking, and learn how to navigate safely around railway lines.

Innovations of the 3rd edition

In previous editions, the campaign targeted pre-schoolers and pupils in grades I-VI. In the third edition, students in grades VII-VIII joined the audience. Classes will be enhanced with modern technology such as VR goggles, holograms and interactive applications to increase their appeal.

The project kicked off in October 2023 and will run until December 2027, when the Office of Rail Transport plans to deliver around 1,200 free lessons to 36,000 children across Poland. The new edition, like the previous ones, is supported by European Funds. The total cost of the project will equal almost PLN 78 million.

Safety First

“Thanks to ongoing EU investments, Polish trains are running faster and more frequently, also reaching places where rail traffic was suspended for many years previously. This makes it all the more important for us to provide education on rail safety, which the Rail ABC Campaign is part of” – Przemysław Kalinka, a representative of the European Commission in Poland commented on ORT’s activities.

The impact of EU investments on safety was also pointed out by Jarosław Orliński, Director of the Infrastructure Programmes Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy.

“One of the priorities of the transport sector of the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027 programme is to ensure rail safety, which follows directly from European policy. We are pursuing this objective through, among other things, educational and promotional projects such as the “Rail ABC III Campaign.” Thanks to the campaign’s recognisability and the attractive formula of educational activities, we are effectively raising children and young people’s awareness of safety rules,” said Jarosław Orliński.
In turn, Adrian Mazur, Director of the Department of Transport Strategy at the Ministry of Infrastructure, highlighted the impact of the “Rail ABC Campaign” on safety in all modes of transport.

“We keep the youngest railway participants in our mind also. Their education on how to behave appropriately on the train or platform is very important and contributes to reducing accidents and incidents involving children and young people. In addition, demonstrating politeness on the railways will pay off by increasing safety in other modes of transport. Adherence to safety rules, attentiveness and responsibility are essential whether travelling by train, car or plane. This type of action additionally shapes positive attitudes towards public transport among both children and adults,” said Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak.

The Rail ABC III campaign aims to reach as many people as possible, including parents, teachers and educators. That is why, except educational activities, an extensive media campaign is planned, including advertising spots, family educational picnics and competitions.

Rogatek Rhinoceros story

From January 2017 to September 2023, ORT conducted almost 1,100 lessons for more than 32,000 children with great success. The campaign spots have been viewed by more than 35 million people and more than 64,000 participants have attended the 20 educational picnics. Custom events were also organised as part of the campaign. Such as, for example, a competition in which the main prize was the creation of a mural in the centre of Warsaw according to the winning idea, and also a competition in which the winning works were displayed during outdoor events in Wrocław and Lublin on 3D video mapping. Locomotives with campaign graphics and its hero Rogatek Rhinoceros could be found all over Poland.