Children of the Trains

Children of the Trains Synopsis

Children of the Trains is a story of transformation: where junk-yard train cars become locations of learning and abandoned street children become hopeful youth. Increased competition for jobs and single parent families has led to instability in the family structure, a decline in basic needs support, an increase in violence, and a loss of adequate housing. As a result, many of these children live on the streets, where they often commit petty crimes just to survive the day, agitating the police who could focus on more grievous crimes.

This clash between street children and local police is a well-known dynamic, in all urban environments. But on the streets of Bangkok, that age-old relationship is changing. Through the on-going efforts of the Railway Police Force officers, the youth of Bangkok are sheltered, educated and cared for in renovated railway train cars. As teachers, mentors, and often surrogate families to the homeless children, the police officers' help have not only transformed abandoned train cars into places of learning, they are transforming "hopeless" street kids into determined youth.