SCHOOLCHILDREN from the Cambrian News region have been picked amongst the winners of Transport for Wales’ Magnificent Train Journey competition.

The competition was organised to name new TfW trains that are due to come into service next year.

The winners include Junior Parry from Tywyn, with the winning entry of ‘Cambrian Coast’.

Junior’s mum told the Cambrian News how much the youngster enjoys taking photographs of trains.

Other winners include Cynan, from Porthmadog, with ‘Dolwyddelan Castle’, Abigail, from Penrhyndeudraeth, with ‘Osprey’, two people called Tomos, both from Llanystumdwy, with the names ‘Castell Criccieth’, another Tomos from Llanystumdwy with and ‘Traphont Abermaw’, and Annest O’Neill, from Criccieth, with Tir a Mor Treferthyr, Zoe, from Tywyn, with ‘Llyn Barfog’, Tomos-Gethin, Pwllheli, with ‘Celtiaid Ceiri’, Seth, Penrhyndeudraeth, with ‘Dwyryd’, Nia, from Machynlleth, with ‘Cwm Alys’, Imogen Sky Thomas, from Aberystwyth, with ’Dyfi Mor’, Erin, from Aberaeron, with ’Y Barcud Goch’, Osian, from Talybont, with ’Gwenllian’, and finally Alanna, from Aberystwyth, with ’Llanrhystud’.

A final judging panel which included CBBC star, teacher and motorsport presenter Grace Webb, also picked overall winners for three creative categories: best poem, short story and picture.

There are more than 110 winners from schools across Wales and the borders and the names will feature on new trains coming into service from next year. As well as getting to name one of the trains, all the winners will receive a special TfW creative kit, and the regional and creative category winners will get a limited-edition Homby model of their train.

Junior, who attends Ysgol Uwchradd said: “I am very happy to have won because I film trains in Wales all the time. I am very shocked to win. I want to work with trains when I get older.”

Grace, who presents Grace’s Amazing Machines on Cbeebies, said: “It’s been wonderful to see so many children getting involved and the creativity they have shown has been fantastic.

“It was a very difficult decision to choose the overall winner because the standard was so high. They can all be very proud.”

Megan Roseblade, TfW project lead and a former teacher, said: “On behalf of everyone at TfW I would like to thank all of the children who took the time to enter the competition.”