Three stations on the Bentham Line are set to welcome ‘bug hotels’ as part of a project with local schools to support biodiversity.

Undergraduates working for the train operator Northern as part of their ‘Year in Industry’ will lead sessions with schools in Lancashire and West Yorkshire alongside the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (CRP), which are designed to educate schoolchildren on biodiversity and the importance of caring for local habitats.

The ‘bug hotels’ will be created from old wooden pallets and, when completed, will contain a variety of repurposed materials including twigs, bamboo canes and corrugated cardboard.

Gerald Townson, chair of the Leeds-Morecambe CRP, said: “As the railway looks to improve station and lineside environments, we are delighted that the Year in Industry students this year have chosen a biodiversity theme for their community project.

“They are keen to work with primary school pupils in Giggleswick, Long Preston and Keighley to raise awareness of the Bentham Line’s ecology and engage the pupils in the creation of insect habitats and pollinator patches at the schools and stations.”

Mike Roe, safety environment director at Northern, said: “We’re committed to making a positive contribution to the environmental sustainability of the areas in which we operate.

“Bug hotels are a small but practical solution to increase biodiversity at our stations and I’m excited to see the end result of the hard work by our Year in Industry colleagues and the students at the schools along the Bentham Line.”

Find out more about Northern’s work in the community here.

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Leeds-Morecambe CRP via their website.