Eleven-year-old Fen McIlwraith from Tyneside has seen her winning design for the “Uniform of the Future” competition brought to life by LNER and the National Railway Museum. The competition, part of the Railway 200 bicentenary celebrations, invited entrants aged 11 and under to create a uniform for railway staff of the future, emphasising sustainability, safety, and practicality.

Fen’s colourful and multifunctional design impressed judges with its innovative features. Her orange Station Assistant uniform includes virtual reality glasses to display real-time information and a jetpack to move quickly around the station. Practical touches, such as zip-off sleeves and trousers, allow the uniform to be adapted for summer and winter use.

The uniform was produced by LNER’s supplier Dimensions and made to measure for Fen. Seeing her sketches transformed into a real outfit left her thrilled. “It looked just like my designs, it was amazing! I’ve had so much fun getting to wear the uniform, I feel proud of how it turned out. I’m really into making my own clothes, I can’t wait to keep working on different designs in the future,” she said.

Chris Healy, Standards and Development Manager at LNER, praised Fen’s creativity.

“Presenting Fen with her uniform and seeing the smile on her face was a special moment. Uniform plays a massive part for everyone who works on the railway, so it was great to see her attention to detail and consideration for how it would be worn by staff.”

Barbara Tomczak, Design Director at Dimensions, added:

“The team here loved making Fen’s futuristic uniform a reality. There were many great entries, but Fen’s consideration of sustainability, practicality, and technology really jumped out. Who knows, maybe we’ll see some of her ideas in designs of the future!”

Image: LNER