Online safety
You’re not alone — help staying safe online.
LopoRail is built for rail enthusiasts of all ages. If something online is worrying you, this page helps you find the right person to talk to or the right place to report it — at your pace.
Need help right now?
Emergency
In immediate danger? Call your local emergency number.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call the emergency services in your country — in the UK, 999; in the EU, 112; in the US and Canada, 911; in Australia, 000 (use your local number). It is free, but the emergency services are not a confidential counselling line — they may record or share information as needed to keep people safe. 999 only works in the UK.
To talk to someone, free and confidential (UK):
Childline
Free, confidential support for anyone under 19, by phone or online chat (UK).
Samaritans
Whatever you are going through, you can talk to someone, any time (UK and Ireland).
Shout
Free, confidential, 24/7 text support when you don’t want to talk out loud (UK).
Start where you are
You don’t have to find the “right” words or the perfect place to begin. Pick the one that sounds closest.
Someone is harming or threatening me
Threats, stalking, grooming or sexual abuse — online or off.
Find reporting routes →Images have been shared without consent
Nude or intimate images, or sexual images of someone under 18.
Get removal help →I’m being bullied online
Messages, group chats, comments or accounts aimed at you.
Find bullying support →I feel overwhelmed or unsafe
Anxiety, low mood, or feeling like you can’t cope.
Find mental health support →Someone is harming or threatening me
Tell a trusted adult first if you can. You can also report to the services below — you don’t have to be sure before you ask for help.
Childline
Free, confidential support for anyone under 19. Call 0800 1111 or chat online.
NSPCC
Advice for children and adults worried about a child’s safety.
Report to LopoRail
Report a post, comment, profile or message to our safety desk.
Images have been shared without consent
This is not your fault. Do not share the image further; save what you can and ask for removal as soon as you’re able.
Report Remove
Get nude or sexual images of yourself removed from the internet. Childline · UK.
Take It Down (NCMEC)
Stop the spread of intimate images of anyone under 18 — works worldwide.
StopNCII
Stop intimate images being shared without consent. Global · over 18.
Revenge Porn Helpline
Help with intimate image abuse. UK · over 18.
I’m being bullied online
You don’t owe anyone a reply. Save evidence, block or mute, report it, and tell someone you trust — a teacher or pastoral lead can help if it involves school.
Childline
Talk about bullying free on 0800 1111 or online.
Anti-Bullying Alliance
Advice for young people, parents and schools.
The Diana Award
Anti-bullying training and support led by young people.
Report to LopoRail
Block the account and report the behaviour to our safety desk.
I feel overwhelmed or unsafe
Whatever you’re feeling, you can talk to someone. You don’t need a reason that sounds “big enough”.
Samaritans
Free, 24/7 — call 116 123, any time, about anything.
Shout
Free, 24/7 text support. Text SHOUT to 85258.
YoungMinds
Mental-health information and support for young people.
Find help anywhere in the world
LopoRail is used in 144+ countries. These independent directories point you to the right helpline or reporting hotline wherever you are.
Child Helpline International
A worldwide network of child helplines — find your country’s service.
Find A Helpline
Free, confidential helplines by country and topic, worldwide.
BeFrienders Worldwide
Emotional-support centres in countries around the world.
IASP
International Association for Suicide Prevention — crisis centres worldwide.
ECPAT International
A global network working to end child sexual exploitation.
Take It Down (NCMEC)
Stop the spread of intimate images of anyone under 18 — works worldwide.
National helplines
US — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, any time.
US — Childhelp
National child abuse hotline.
Canada — Cybertip.ca
Report online child sexual exploitation in Canada.
France — 119
Allô Enfance en Danger — help for children at risk.
Germany — Nummer gegen Kummer
Free advice for children, young people and parents.
Netherlands — Kindertelefoon
Free chat and phone support for children.
Spain — Teléfono de la Esperanza
Emotional support and crisis help.
Australia — Kids Helpline
Free counselling for young Australians.
Australia — eSafety Commissioner
Report serious online abuse and get help.
Supporting a young person
Our Young People & Social Features notice explains what data we collect for accounts and social features, the safeguards in place, and how to contact us. If you are worried about a young person’s use of LopoRail, please contact our team — we will help.
Internet Matters
Practical online-safety guides for parents and carers.
The 16+ gate and how to appeal
The railway information on LopoRail — timetables, boards, stations and heritage pages — is open to everyone, at any age, without an account.
The social features are 16+ — the forum, direct messages, friend requests, trips, posting photos or videos to the community, and location sharing — and they require age assurance, not just a self-declared age. Taking part in meet-ups is 18+.
If you are under 16: accounts for under-13s are not offered. A young person aged 13–15 may hold a non-social account, set up and verified by a parent or guardian, for tools such as the spotting log and Train Miles. That account runs in Protect Mode, which turns off every social feature — the forum, DMs, friend requests, trips, meet-ups, community photo/video posting and location sharing. If you think a decision is wrong, you can ask for a human review via the safety desk.
We store an age band (“under 16” / “16+”), not your date of birth.
Appeal or ask about your account — if a decision about your content or account has affected you, ask for a human review and we will look again. Asking will not get you into trouble.
Contact the safety deskReport something to LopoRail
To report a post, comment, profile or message, use our contact form and choose the safety/report topic. We review reports and can remove content or suspend accounts.
What happens after I report?
Each service has its own process. Some will ask for links, screenshots or details about what happened. It may take time, and LopoRail cannot remove content from another platform.
You can ask a trusted adult to sit with you while you report. You can also stop and come back later.
Reports to LopoRail’s safety desk are triaged, and you can ask for a human review of the outcome.
You don’t have to sort it out alone.
Start with whichever feels easiest. Talking to someone is the first step — call, text, chat or tell a person you trust. You can come back to this page whenever you need it.
Call Childline free on 0800 1111 (UK)