14 Jul 2021

‘Llyn Barfog’, ‘Deva Victrix’ and ‘Ruabon Ruby Rooster’ are among the winning names put forward by children across Wales and the borders for new Transport for Wales trains.   

Five regional judging panels have selected the winning entries and an overall regional winner for their respective areas. A final judging panel which included CBBC star, teacher and motorsport presenter Grace Webb, then chose overall winners for three creative categories: best poem, short story and picture.

In total there are more than 110 winners from schools across Wales and the borders and the names will feature on the new trains due to arrive into service from next year.

As well as getting to name one of TfW’s brand new trains, all winners receive a special TfW creative kit, and the regional and creative category winners will get a limited-edition Hornby model of their train.

Grace Webb, who presents Grace’s Amazing Machines on Cbeebies, said: “It’s been wonderful to see so many children getting involved and the creativity they have shown has been fantastic.

“It was a very difficult decision to choose the overall winner because the standard was so high, and they can all be very proud of the work they have put in.

“It’s been a pleasure to judge the competition and I’m looking forward to seeing the new trains, with their brilliant names, out on the network.”

The Magnificent Train Journey competition also provided teachers and schools with an interactive learning pack based around topics including sustainability and transport, trains old and new, stories from around Wales and the borders and places to explore on the train.

Megan Roseblade, TfW project lead and a former teacher, said: “On behalf of everyone at TfW I would like to thank all of the children who took the time to enter the competition, we’ve been blown away by the quality of entries we received.

“This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to name the new trains which will help to transform the Wales and Borders network and there has been a fantastic response to the challenge.

“We also wanted to inspire the children to learn more about transport, climate change, sustainability and their local and national history and we’re delighted with the success of the competition.”

You can find a full list of all the winners on the Transport for Wales website: https://tfw.wales/magnificent-train-journey-winners