KiwiRail safety video wins international award

December 6, 2017

Note: The videos can be downloaded at this link https://www.dropbox.com/sh/97tfdituzxpnwq7/AABpQXx2p_8Z9z2LbLLCGC0na?dl=0

KiwiRail safety video wins international award

A KiwiRail video featuring train drivers sharing personal stories of how they’re affected by incidents on the rail network has won a coveted safety award at an international film festival.

The CineRail Festival showcases the newest films and audiovisual productions made for railways, or on the theme of railways, from around the world. This year’s festival, held in Lisbon, featured 65 films from 23 countries, competing across seven categories.

One of KiwiRail’s videos, which featured six Auckland-based locomotive engineers (train drivers) and was produced for Rail Safety Week 2017, won the Security and Safety category of the festival.

The video featured six locomotive engineers who told candid stories about when they have been involved in fatalities or near misses while driving trains, and the impact such incidents have on themselves and their families.

“Safety is hugely important to KiwiRail, and we’re proud that a relatively small rail company from New Zealand is helping to bring these messages to the world,” says KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy.

“While these stories are told by Kiwis, they also resonate on an international stage, as is evident in these wins.

“We’re especially grateful to the six Locomotive Engineers who bravely agreed to share their experiences, all in the name of rail safety.”

The train driver video was widely shared on social media, reaching almost 900,000 people. Judges said the film was awarded for its creativity, originality, effectiveness and the way it connected emotionally with the audience.

A second KiwiRail Rail Safety Week video, Trackstoppers, received a special mention in the same category. Trackstoppers, featuring upcoming Wellington band The Drax Project, was created together with TrackSafe New Zealand and produced by Clemengers BBDO.

It encourages people to stop their music and remove their headphones when around the railway tracks. Judges recognised Trackstoppers for its dynamism, modernity, creativity and the way it resonated with its target audience.

“The most important message for everyone to take away from these videos is to please behave safely and be alert around the rail network, and to always expect trains at any time, from either direction,” says Mr Reidy.

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