In a class of its own
STEFANIE BROWNE explains how a new programme to teach children about railways has resulted in much more than just a history lesson and a lecture on safety - and impressed NRA judges
Sometimes, successful collaboration on the railway can come from unlikely partners. So many areas of the rail industry interface with society, and they require teamwork outside of the usual structures to make sure that those interactions are positive ones. Engaging young people in the railway is one of those areas - and that isn’t just about teaching them the importance of safety at level crossings, but also about the benefits of supporting the railway in the future.
The Community Rail Lancashire Education Programme is a school engagement project that was created by representatives from local authorities, Northern, the British Transport Police and primary schools in the region. It is essentially led by four individuals who have created relationships with schools to project a safety message to pupils, but also a positive familiarisation message by providing supervised trips to a special education room at Accrington station.
Children are introduced to the sustainable benefits of rail travel in their local area as part of a two-day programme that includes activities to support the school syllabus.
Over the course of a year, around 500 pupils, teachers, teaching assistants and parents have participated, and all at no cost to schools, parents or pupils. Sponsorship (some of it ‘in kind’) is provided by Transport for Greater Manchester, Network Rail, Northern and local councils. And it is already growing, with Virgin showing interest in a second centre at Preston and Abellio using the idea in two cities in Germany.
A big part of the programme is providing an incentive for parents and pupils to travel on local services by giving the children a ‘Passport to Safer Rail Travel’. Through this, Northern funds free journeys for the child when in the company of a fare-paying adult on selected local routes for a period of three months.
The programme is split into two days. On the first day, the group visits a school to talk about the environmental benefits of rail travel and to show pupils the eco features of Accrington station. Then they get to try on hats, uniforms and equipment from railway past and present.
On the second day, pupils visit ‘The Bunker’ at Accrington station. Here they follow a series of activities based around curriculum subjects: timetabling (Maths), creating a luggage label and a ticket to show the conductor on the way home (English and Art & Design), map work (Geography), making a wind spinner and assembling a 3D train (Art & Design), a tour of the Eco-Station (Science, Technology and History) and a ‘crime prevention and railway safety’ interactive presentation.
The programme has received highly positive feedback from the teachers and pupils that have been involved and is testament to the close working relationships between the teammembers behind it