The Netherlands national railway operator NS has transformed a young girl's imagination into rolling reality, covering an intercity train with friendly monsters designed by an eight-year-old competition winner.
Phileine, a resident of Zutphen near Utrecht, captured first place in the 2025 NS Drawing Competition, which invited children throughout the country to submit exterior designs for railway carriages. Her "Sweet Monster Train" concept prevailed over a record-breaking field of more than 1,200 entries.
The competition showcased remarkable creativity from young participants across the Netherlands. According to NS, submissions ranged from jungle trains populated with animals to flying locomotives and fantasy creatures traversing the tracks. The railway operator noted that entries combined humor, fantasy, and adventure in equal measure.
Phileine collaborated with professional illustrator Jip Piet to bring her vision to fruition. The design features an array of friendly monsters that crawl and slither along the train's exterior, deliberately crafted to be impossible to frighten passengers of any age. Her original concept demonstrated practical ingenuity, presenting a design that could be scaled and printed on large decal stickers rather than requiring extensive paintwork.
The young artist witnessed her creation firsthand at Utrecht's Maliebaan station, where she participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside competition judge Daan Schutt, a board member of NS. Phileine arrived with her family for the official unveiling of the transformed intercity train.
The railway operator articulated a broader educational mission behind the annual competition. NS stated that the initiative aims to inspire children toward train travel through playful engagement with their creativity.
"Children often experience a train journey as an adventure, much more than we sometimes realize as adults," NS explained in a statement. "By focusing on their imagination and really bringing one dream train to life, we show how special travel can be through children's eyes."
The competition represents an innovative approach to public engagement, transforming utilitarian transportation infrastructure into a canvas for youthful imagination. By implementing winning designs on actual operating trains, NS creates tangible connections between children's creative expression and real-world applications, potentially fostering long-term appreciation for public transportation.
The Sweet Monster Train now operates on intercity routes throughout the Netherlands, carrying Phileine's artistic vision to communities across the country and demonstrating how public institutions can celebrate and elevate the creativity of their youngest citizens.