18th May 2026 • My Family Our Needs
In this ‘How to’ blog, we speak to Steve O’Callaghan about preparing your child for train travel and how his new picture book featuring therapy dog Nya can help children feel safer and more confident on their journey.
Why can train travel feel overwhelming for children?
For many families, especially those with children with SEND, train travel can feel overwhelming. Busy platforms, loud noises and unfamiliar routines can all add to anxiety, but small, positive interactions can make a big difference.
Steve O’Callaghan, Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead for TransPennine Express, sees this every day through his work supporting passengers:
“I worked as a police officer for 20 years for Derbyshire Constabulary and the British Transport Police, which looks after safety on the rail network.
“Now, as Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead for TransPennine Express, I oversee the safeguarding of over 1900 staff, passengers and the wider community supporting everything from crime prevention to safeguarding training.”
How did Nya become a therapy dog and get involved with the rail networks?
Steve recognised there was a gap in how safeguarding messages were reaching younger children and families who might be nervous about travelling. When Steve started his current role as the Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead, he wanted to combine his passion for dogs with his role in safeguarding as he felt that there was a natural gap in this space.
He felt that his German Shepherd, Nya, had all the right traits for a therapy dog and could help staff and passengers, including young children on the rail network with their health and wellbeing.
Nya had been exposed to lots of different environments from a puppy and was the perfect fit as a therapy dog:
“As a police officer, I could see how dogs naturally de-escalate situations. I wanted to combine my passion for dogs and the role that I’m doing now to help people. I liaised with occupational health professionals and realised there was a natural gap.
“I registered Nya as a therapy dog through Pets as Therapy – the first dog registered with a train operating company. Animal therapy has benefits including reducing anxiety, depression and stress. Pets as Therapy do a lot with schools like reading programmes where children can read to dogs in the classroom and it helps to calm them down.
“I’ve done extensive safeguarding awareness campaigns working with the Samaritans, Railway Children and the British Transport Police on campaigns. Nya’s had hundreds of positive interactions with passengers and staff, and she helps people come up and talk. She’s really calm.”
These kinds of interactions can be especially powerful for children who may struggle to communicate or regulate emotions in busy environments.
Where did the idea for Nya the Train Dog: A Tale of Safety and Smiles come from and how did it come together?
Steve created a picture book featuring his therapy dog Nya to help children feel more confident when travelling by train.
“I wanted to aim the book at the really young children who utilise the rail network under the age of 10 and to help them feel happy and confident when they are travelling. I wanted to channel the natural curiosity that children seem to have around Nya and try and put it into a soft touch book about safeguarding and rail safety on the rail networks. It took nearly a year, but I wanted to utilise Nya to portray the messages for parents and children.
“The whole book is aimed at delivering a message in a warm, friendly narrative. It fully aligns with what I do. I can utilise Nya to convey the message and I hope the book can raise the profile of what Pets as Therapy do on the wider level.”
The book is available in print, with an online version also accessible for families to read together before travelling.
What’s different about the way you’re approaching safeguarding with children?
For some children, particularly those with sensory differences or anxiety, a calm and friendly dog can act as a bridge, helping them feel safe enough to engage.
“I visited a school in Manchester with a colleague and Nya where there were 400 year 7 and 8 pupils in a hall. We talked about safeguarding and what Nya can do. After the other pupils had gone, a child with autism came and stroked Nya and had a big smile on his face. There’s quite a lot of standout moments like that.
“Another standout moment was in December last year. TPE work closely with schools in Manchester and the staff at Manchester Airport put on a Christmas event for some of the more deprived pupils, where they got to meet Santa and do Christmas activities. I brought Nya who was dressed up in her Christmas jumper which went down really well with all the children.
“The book is a tool telling young children, there’s people and registered therapy dogs out there that can help if you’re feeling a little bit scared.”
Even outside of formal settings, these small moments can help children feel more at ease:
“She naturally calms people down and gets people talking. Predictability and preparation are a big thing for children with SEND – I know it can be a bit daunting, but there’s trusted adults there to help. Look for people in uniform. The book aims to reassure parents and children that there’s people there to help, whether that’s security, staff or police.”
Can you share a real-life moment where your book has impacted a child or young person?
For many families, moments of overwhelm can feel sudden and difficult to navigate, especially in busy, unfamiliar environments like train stations. Finding simple, accessible ways to support a young person to feel safe again can make a huge difference.
Steve has seen this impact reflected not just in feedback from families, but from professionals too. TransPennine Express’ Safeguarding Hub Coordinator at Hull, recently shared a powerful example.
“They described supporting a group of carers with a very distressed young adult with learning difficulties. After some quiet time in the Hub, along with a cup of tea and a reading of Nya the Train Dog, the young person began to engage with the book’s illustrations and story. Although he initially said he didn’t like dogs, he soon became absorbed and his distress eased into a calm, happy state. The young adult left with a copy of the book and the carers were incredibly grateful.”
Feedback like this highlights how storytelling can create connection, offer gentle distraction and support emotional regulation when it’s needed most.
How can you prepare your child before travelling?
Preparation is one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety around travel, especially for children who benefit from predictability.
Steve shares practical ways families can build familiarity before the journey:
“Preparation is key. You could explain what you could expect to find at a train station such as the sights and sounds. You could look at things online. For really young children, families could practise things at home like holding an adult’s hand, waiting for the train to stop and exposing them to sounds online, such as the horns of the trains. You can also do virtual walk rounds of stations.”
Reading a familiar story about train travel beforehand, like Steve’s book featuring Nya, can also help children visualise what to expect in a calm and reassuring way.
What support is available for families on the rail network?
Many families aren’t aware of the range of support services available to help make journeys easier and safer.
“We have an accessibility unit who do lots of things like ‘try the train‘ and toolkits that they use. There’s a lot of support mechanisms and safeguarding agencies that people can be assigned to. We opened a safeguarding hub at Hull in 2023 that’s there for people who might need mental health support and advice. There’s lots of things to assist travellers.”
There are also wider organisations working across the network to support passengers:
“The Samaritans work very closely with the staff and passengers on the rail network. Railway Children are a youth intervention charity who specialise in contextual safeguarding on the network.
“Staff can be the first point of call if people find themselves needing a bit of help, whether that’s children or adults. There’s lots of support out there.”
What should children do if they feel worried or unsafe?
Helping children know what to do and who to turn to can make a big difference to how safe they feel when travelling.
“If you ever feel worried on a train or at a station, find a grown up in a uniform like train staff, police officers or security guards – they are all there to help. Talking to someone you trust can help you feel safe and happy, even if you feel uneasy about travelling, verbalising that and talking to people can help.
“Train stations can be hazardous places and can be overwhelming; stay away from the tracks and the platform edge. Don’t run, stay close to grown-ups and hold your grown-ups’ hand. With dogs, if they’ve got their therapy dog coat on, identification badges or similar, those dogs and people are there to speak to if you need help.”
For older children or teens, there are also discreet ways to ask for help:
“If you’re a victim of a crime, we promote the 61016 number. The British Transport Police are there to be contacted – nothing’s too small. If you think something doesn’t look right, you can contact them.
“There’s also a text reporting service where you can be anonymous as well. Even if you’re on the train and you don’t want to identify yourself, you can say there’s a person on this carriage or this seat number and ask for police support.”
Does Nya have a message for children and families?
At its heart, both Steve’s work and the book are about reassurance. He says Nya’s advice would be:
“Speak to responsible people if you ever feel unsure about travelling. There are lots of people to help. Woof woof!”
Steve spent 20 years as a Police Officer before becoming the Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead for TransPennine Express, where he supports the safety and wellbeing of staff and passengers.
Living in Sheffield with his family and his dog Nya, who is registered through Pets as Therapy, he has spent most of his life around dogs and has always understood how powerfully they can improve people’s health and wellbeing.
By combining his safeguarding expertise with his passion for dogs, he now takes Nya out across the rail network to help and support staff and passengers and has recently written a free children’s book incorporating the work of Nya with gentle safeguarding and rail safety themes throughout the book.
Read Steve’s book here and follow them on Instagram @nyathetraindog