About
Helping children, families and communities make safer decisions around railway tracks through education, awareness and practical safety messages.
Credit: Kanes Trains
Our Mission
Operation Railway Education is dedicated to equipping our community with the knowledge and awareness needed to make informed, safe and responsible decisions around railway tracks.
We believe that reducing rail-related incidents requires more than one approach. Operation Railway Education’s contribution is through education, engagement and collaboration.
Our mission is simple:
Educate
Promote Safety
Raise Awareness
Credit: Kanes Trains
Credit: Kanes Trains
An Educated Community Is a Safer Community.
Here's how we help make that happen.
The Problem
Over the last eight years there have been 44 deaths, 175 injuries and 8,313 reported near hits at railway (level) crossings. (Source: ONRSR) Many incidents are linked to inattention, distraction and misunderstandings about trains and the railway environment.
While national campaigns often rely on high-impact messaging to raise awareness, there are few initiatives that drive real behaviour change in communities.
There is a clear gap in consistent rail safety education for school-aged children, teenagers and adult road users. While some school programs exist, adult education is largely absent - campaigns often simply instruct adults to follow the rules rather than teaching or re-educating them about safe behaviours.
The Solution
Operation Railway Education exists to close these gaps. ORE aims to consistently reinforce safety messaging through creative storytelling, factual campaigns and community engagement. Through repeated, engaging education, ORE empowers individuals of all ages to make safe choices around railway tracks.
We believe that we can help create a future where everyone in our community understands how to safely interact with trains and the railway enviroment.
ORE measures success through reach and engagement metrics, participant feedback, and pre/post indicators where practicable. Programs are designed to be sustainable and repeatable over time.
Our Founder
ORE was founded by Chantelle Fry, a train driver based in the regional town of Port Augusta.
Chantelle comes from a well-respected multi-generational railway family, with more than 150 years of combined industry experience.
Growing up immersed in the railway environment, Chantelle grew up with constant conversations about safety and responsibility about trains and the railway environment. From a young age she was equipped with knowledge to ensure she made informed decisions around trains.
Now working as a train driver herself, Chantelle has experienced first-hand the human impact of rail incidents. Beyond operational consequences, these events affect families, mates, colleagues and entire communities.
Through her lived experience, she identified a gap in the safety conversations that existed - particularly for education. Chantelle knew that with her unique skill set she could create something that could fill this gap.
Chantelle brings a rare combination of operational rail experience, creative communication expertise and formal education training to ORE.
Deep Industry Knowledge
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Trainee Train Driver - Pacific National (2 years)
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Train Driver - Aurizon (3 years)
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Health and Safety Representative (1 year)
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150+ years combined family railway experience
Creative & Design Skills
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15 years as a freelance Graphic Designer
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Bachelor & Masters of Architecture
Educational Insight
Currently studying a Masters of Education (Secondary)
