A YOUNG Stourbridge railway enthusiast was among 11 lucky youngsters able to live out their wildest dreams and experience first-hand what it’s like to be a train conductor.

Mini train fans, aged four to 10, were invited by West Midlands Railway to try out for the once in a lifetime experience as part of its Little Train Conductor competition.

Adam Shaikh, aged six, from Stourbridge, was among the winners.

From stepping aboard one of WMR’s brand-new Class 196 trains at Birmingham New Street to arriving at their destination at Shrewsbury, the Little Train Conductors embraced typical conductor duties - ranging from checking tickets and greeting customers, to making important announcements over the public tannoy system.

The youngsters were kitted out with their own whistle, torch, tie, high-viz waistcoat and flags to ensure their train conducting duties ran smoothly during the special event on Wednesday November 1.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: “Our Little Train Conductor event was certainly one to remember! It was an absolute pleasure to welcome our enthusiasts onto our brand-new trains, offering them an experience we hope they hold onto for years to come.

“We were blown away by each and every entry we received as part of our competition, and had a very hard task on our hands trying to choose the winners. It’s always a joy to see children as passionate about the railway as we are here at West Midlands Railway. Perhaps in the future we’ll even see the return of some familiar faces embarking on their own career as a conductor.”

The competition, launched at the start of the summer holidays, encouraged children across the UK to share a video detailing what they love most about trains in the hope of being selected to conduct one of WMR’s new trains.

When the search began in July, just four lucky winners were sought, but due to the volume of applications received the number of winners was increased to 11.