PUPILS from West Hill School got hands-on with rail travel this week, learning the ins and outs of train journeys thanks to a new confidence-building initiative.
The project, called Tameside Tracks, saw students start their day at Stalybridge Station, exploring railway careers and station operations, before putting their skills to the test on a return trip to Manchester.
The idea came directly from the students, who earlier in the year wanted to create a video to help other young people travel by train safely and independently. With support from educational social enterprise Pursuing Individual Excellence, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), and TransPennine Express (TPE), their vision became a full-scale project.
Throughout the day, students practiced journey planning, ticket purchasing, and station navigation, while also learning about the upgrades transforming rail travel across the North.
Andrew Watkins, Community & Development Manager at TPE, said: “It’s been fantastic to see how engaged the students have been. Their project is a brilliant example of young people helping peers feel confident using public transport.”
The project was funded by the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade, which is improving rail connections between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York, and supporting community-focused initiatives.