Improvements for the Dnipro Childrenʼs Railway

This little project is one of my favorites of all time.

In some Eastern European countries, there are children’s railways. They give kids the opportunity to explore railway professions and gain practical experience in a real-world environment. While these railways serve as entertainment for visitors, they are also serious institutions where children can prepare for future careers.

There’s a children’s railway in Dnipro, my hometown in Ukraine. When I introduced it to my then one-year-old daughter, she fell in love with it. However, as a designer, I did notice some issues. The timetable was barely readable. The information at the ticket window was written on A4 pages placed in plastic files. Moreover, instead of proper tickets for such an adventure, the cashiers were handing out nothing more than plain, boring receipts.

I wanted to change that. I took some photos and started sketching ideas. I also learned that the children’s railway would soon celebrate its 80th birthday. I knew I could prepare a good present.

Thanks to Oleksandr Boiko, the senior instructor at the Dnipro Children’s Railway, we were able to make several meaningful improvements:

Tickets. I designed Edmondson tickets to honor railway traditions. More than 10,000 cardboard tickets were printed and put in use.
Ticket punchers. To complete the authentic experience, we purchased punchers, allowing inspectors to mark tickets properly instead of tearing plain receipts.
Train timetable. The timetable was completely redesigned and printed in a large format, making it more visible and accessible for passengers.
Ticket window information. All necessary details were organized onto a single, easy-to-read surface.
Carriage number indicators. We replaced the old inkjet-printed indicators with durable, high-quality ones styled to fit traditional aesthetics.
Teaching class information. We corrected some errors in the teaching materials displayed on the walls.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Working on this project was incredibly fun. Although I started as a complete stranger, I found a place where I could proactively apply my knowledge and make tangible improvements. I received incredible support from friends, who helped crowdfund the printing costs for the ticket run. And as a bonus, I even got to ride in a real train cabin — a childhood dream came true.