Rail Forum has announced the winners of the Rail Safety Week Colouring Competition 2026, following an exceptional response from children across the UK. The competition, which forms part of this year’s Rail Safety Week campaign, invited young people to explore the importance of staying safe on and around the railway through creativity and art.
Open to children in two age categories, 4 to 6 and 7 to 10 years old, the competition received over 200 entries, making this year’s judging process one of the most competitive to date. The standard of artwork submitted was exceptionally high, with entries demonstrating creativity, enthusiasm and a strong understanding of key rail safety messages.
The judging panel, which included HM Chief Inspector of Railways, Richard Hines, carefully reviewed every submission before selecting this year’s winners.
The winners of the Rail Safety Week Colouring Competition 2026 are:
Age 4-6
1 Thea
2 Ilis
3 Joey S
Age 7-10
1 Ada
2 Sophie
3 Isla
While only a small number of prizes can be awarded, organisers have praised every child who took part in the competition, recognising the effort and imagination demonstrated across all entries.
Dylan Jones, Communications Executive at Rail Forum and for Rail Safety Week, said:
“The response to this year’s Colouring Competition has been fantastic. We received an incredible number of entries, and the quality of artwork submitted made selecting the winners extremely challenging.
“Every child who took part should be proud of their contribution. Beyond the creativity on display, what stood out most was the way young people engaged with the important message of staying safe on and around the railway. Through their artwork, they have helped us raise awareness of rail safety and start important conversations within families, schools and communities.”
The Rail Safety Week Colouring Competition is designed to encourage conversations about railway safety while providing a fun and engaging activity for young people. Organisers hope that all participants enjoyed taking part and will continue to support Rail Safety Week in the years ahead. The competition will return in 2027.
You can find out more about the Colouring Competition on the Rail Safety Week Website.