A yellow line to respect, an underpass to use, headphones to remove before crossing the tracks: railway safety begins with small daily gestures. Gestures that over 2,300 Sardinian students have learned to know thanks to “Train… to be cool”, the national project of the railway police that closed the 2024/2025 school year with over 50 meetings throughout the island.
Active for over a decade, the project was born from the collaboration between the Department of Public Safety of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education and Merit, with the aim of bringing the culture of safety in the railway sector to school desks .
In Sardinia, the program took shape with meetings in primary and secondary schools, especially in Cagliari, Olbia and Oristano, but also in Sassari, Monserrato, Santa Giusta and Macomer, where despite the absence of a permanent presence, the Polfer still wanted to be present. In addition to the interventions in the classrooms, guided visits to the stations were organized, to closely observe potential dangers and risky behaviors.
The police officers, specially trained for outreach activities, used films, brochures and direct testimonies to explain the rules to follow : do not cross the tracks outside of safe routes, do not cross the yellow line while waiting for the train, do not cross level crossings with the barriers down, and do not walk along the embankments.
An education in legality that found fertile ground: the kids responded with enthusiasm, actively participating, asking questions - not only about security, but also about the profession of policeman and the competitions to enter the State Police.
The initiative also strengthened the ties between educational institutions and law enforcement. In addition to school meetings, in fact, the Polfer participated in public events and projects for school orientation, in synergy with provincial school offices and associations such as the Dopolavoro Ferroviario of Cagliari.
The continuation of the activities is already planned for the 2025/2026 school year, with new stages, meetings and initiatives to continue to raise awareness among young Sardinians about railway safety and the value of daily legality.
