Severnside Community Rail Partnership (CRP) and the Platform Rail Education Scheme have been working with local students to showcase Portway Park & Ride Station as an integrated transport hub and wildlife haven.
The project began with a workshop focused on the environmental impact of constructing the new station, as well as the measures taken to protect the local great crested newt population, a species safeguarded by UK law. One such measure is the specially designed underground crossing beneath the tracks, which aims to help local newts navigate the station environment safely.
The students then set about creating vibrant collages of newts, taking inspiration from Antoni Gaudi’s iconic mosaic art.
Thanks to funding from Great Western Railway, CrossCountry and Community Rail Network, all 60 collages have been reproduced and installed along the railings at Portway Park & Ride station, greeting passengers with a bright and cheerful display.
The artwork was unveiled at an event on 22 July, where students took a special train trip from Bristol Temple Meads to view their creations.
Heather Cullimore, manager of Severnside CRP, said: “We watched the construction of Portway Park & Ride with interest and were impressed by the care taken to ensure the protection of wildlife habitats. This project has been a wonderful opportunity to support Oasis Academy Temple Quarter students to become safe and confident rail passengers and for them to learn about the measures taken to protect wildlife and create ecosystems around the local rail network”.
Jenni Jones, community rail support officer at Community Rail Network, said: “We are delighted to have been able to contribute funding towards this exciting project, which shows how with a little creativity, a railway station can be so much more than a place to simply catch the train.
“The community rail movement plays a vital role in developing stations as green spaces, where wildlife and nature are encouraged to thrive. These fantastic newt crossings and accompanying artwork are a great example of how our members strive to brighten up stations, as well as support our rail network to be even more environmentally friendly.”
Richard James, head of school for Oasis Academy Temple Quarter, said: “Having our students take part in this exciting project promoting the underground newt crossing at the new Portway Park & Ride station is a great honour. It has been fantastic to see our students learn about the ecological importance of great crested newts and use their creativity to highlight the significance of protecting this species.”
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from Severnside CRP via their website.
