For five years, three long-standing West Roxbury childcare businesses have, as the focal part of their days, brought the kids out to wave to the commuter rail trains as they head into and out of the City at the Highland stop.

Today, Linda's House of Little Ones, Kidz Shoppe and Precious Cargo Childcare received a special visit at the stop from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail.

Stephen Quinn, a MBCR employee who also gives free train safety presentations to groups of all age for Operation Lifesaver, and Fitchburg Line Conductor Cory Moniz paid visit to the kids, offering train safety information and photo opportunities.

"One of our conductors mentioned that the kids come here on a regular basis to wave, and they get very excited about it," said MBCR Communications Director Marcia Weaver. "We thought they should know train safety and have more than a brief moment with a conductor."

The 10 kids, aged between one and 3-years-old, took advantage of the opportunity, participating in Quinn's discussion and eagerly posing for photos with Moniz.

"They love the trains," said Precious Cargo owner and operator Kathy Hughes, whose sister Mimi Largey runs Kidz Shoppe. Linda Evers Nelson runs Linda's House of Little Ones. All three have been in operation for 27 years, and they come out as a group to see the trains every Monday through Thursday. The children wave at the 9:53 inbound and 10:19 outbound trains.

Quinn's presentation was short, given the age of the children, but effective. The children raised their hands when he asked who loved trains and listened when he explained that their parents loved each of them even more than that.

"So you have to stay away from the railroad tracks," he said. "Promise."

Largey said there had never been any safety issues as long as the three childcares had been coming to the railroad tracks, but saw preventative value in teaching the kids safety around the trains early on.

"It's good for them to be exposed to this," said Largey after Quinn's talk.

"We're just trying to create safer communities," Quinn said after his presentation. "There are a lot more trains now traveling at greater speeds."

Quinn spoke to the children after the inbound train had passed by, then stuck around to watch the outbound train drop off passengers from Boston. Moniz met with the children and took pictures with them between trains.

By the time the second train had passed, the kids seemed to have received the message well.

"You're all behind the yellow line," said Moniz, "and we got everyone on and off nice and safe."