Improvements for the Dnipro Children’s 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 noticed a few problems. The timetable was barely readable. The information at the ticket window was printed on A4 sheets slipped into plastic sleeves. 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. So I reached out with my ideas — and to my surprise, they were interested.

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 into use.
Ticket punches. To complete the authentic experience, we purchased punches, 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 to 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.
Classroom materials. We corrected several errors in the materials displayed on the classroom walls.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

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