Barton Cleethorpes Community Rail Partnership (CRP) is celebrating the achievement of a year-long project that has connected pupils from Goxhill Primary School with their local railway through a mix of rail safety education, creativity, and community involvement.

The programme, supported by funding from Community Rail Network and East Midlands Railway, began with a visit from Dawn Branton, CRP officer, who delivered a whole-school assembly on rail safety. The session, delivered to over 170 young people, sparked curiosity and enthusiasm among the pupils, setting the tone for a series of activities.

A visit to the historic Victorian signal box at Goxhill Station, where the children discovered how signals are still manually communicated to trains along the Barton Line from Goxhill, triggered interest in the heritage of the railway and led to pupils participating in the CRP’s Railway 200-inspired ‘Art Along the Line’ competition. Their artwork is now proudly displayed at Goxhill Station, brightening up the space and strengthening links between the school and the wider community.

The pupils also enjoyed a memorable day out travelling by train, which gave them the chance to experience the railway from a passenger’s perspective in a real and practical way. During the journey, the students were able to bring their earlier rail safety learning to life, observing how stations operate, how trains run on time, and how passengers are expected to behave safely and considerately.

The project concluded with a hands-on planting day at the station, where pupils worked together to add over 100 pollinator-friendly plants to the station planters. Guided by the station adopters, they learned about the importance of choosing plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and how these small actions can make a meaningful difference to the local environment.

Dawn Branton, CRP officer, said: “The initiative has provided Goxhill School pupils with valuable life lessons, from rail safety knowledge to environmental awareness, while fostering a strong sense of pride in their local railway station and community.” 

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from Barton Cleethorpes CRP via their website.