Community Rail Lancashire has teamed up with Accrington & Rossendale College to support students on the Level 2 NVQ Railway Maintenance Course.
As part of the eight-week programme, which equips learners with essential knowledge and skills to work safely and effectively on railway tracks, students visited Accrington Station, where they learnt more about community rail initiatives.
On 6 August, the latest cohort of students and tutor Ste Latimer visited Accrington Station for a day filled with learning and practical activities. The visit began with an introduction to the important work carried out by Community Rail Lancashire, followed by a detailed tour of the ‘eco’ station. Students were also trained on how to perform safety-critical calls at the platform, an essential aspect of their future roles in the rail industry.
The afternoon saw the students join forces with the station adoption group, Stations of Welcome, to engage in gardening activities on the platform. They also assisted in moving planters within the community garden, further enhancing the station’s green credentials and making it a more welcoming environment for passengers.
The partnership with the college has also included visits to Ribble Steam Railway, Network Rail in York, and Newton Heath Train Care Centre in Manchester, one of Northern’s largest maintenance facilities. During the visit to Newton Heath, the students were introduced to various roles within the Train Care Centre and learnt about the extensive efforts required to keep trains operational and passenger ready. The visit also included a Q&A session, providing the students with valuable insights into potential career paths and the apprenticeships available at Northern.
Dave Savage, community rail officer at Community Rail Lancashire, said: “A big thank you to Ste Latimer and the learners from the Railway Maintenance Course for all their help at the eco station with the community garden.
“This partnership has grown in strength over the year, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see the success of participants who have returned to visit. The course has had tremendous success, with several learners now working for Network Rail and others in full-time employment after completing their NVQ Railway Maintenance course.”
Course tutor Ste Latimer said: “This partnership has allowed learners to help the local community and moving forward through education into the rail industry from Accrington Railway Station.”
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from Community Rail Lancashire via their website.
Find out more about Northern’s work in the community here.
