YOUNGSTERS can design their own special train ticket in a competition being run by Northern Rail.

Under fives can travel free of charge with the operator, but Northern says tots can be disappointed as this means they have no ticket to present to the train conductor.

It has now launched a competition open not to just to under fives, but children aged under ten in which they can design their own ticket.

The winning designs will be printed to the same size and shape of traditional rail tickets and credited with the child’s name and age.

Winners will also receive £20 worth of vouchers to spend in WHSmith and a family day ticket to travel anywhere on Northern’s trains.

Richard Allan, commercial director for Northern, said: “We know that young children are excited to travel by train and can be disappointed when the conductor comes around to check tickets when they don’t have one.

“We want to give all the children who travel on our services the chance to have a special ticket, get it checked and to give them the opportunity to learn from a young age what it means to travel on a train.”

The competition stems from an idea of one of Northern’s previous managers, who passed away in 2013 and who worked with schoolchildren on a small project to design tickets for a specific route.

Designs can be emailed to simonsays@northernrail.org or posted to Simon Says Competition, Communications Department, 6 Floor Northern House, 9 Rougier Street, York, YO1 6HZ to be received by May 1.

Visit www.northernrail.org/simonsays for more information.