Old railway signal box transformed into classroom
BBCAn old signal box has been transformed into a classroom to help children learn about the railway and the ecology of nearby Morecambe Bay.
The new science, technology, engineering and maths education centre, at Hest Bank in Lancashire, includes a display showing the latest train movements that pupils can follow live.
The London Midland Type 15 box, built by British Railways and opened in December 1968, will welcome groups from over 50 local schools throughout the academic year.
Alison Dodd, headteacher of Heysham St Peter's Church of England Primary School, said the workspace "brings the learning from inside the classroom into real-life perspective in such a wonderful environment".
The site, on The Shore road, sits on the West Coast Main Line, Europe's busiest mixed-use railway, which connects passengers as far away as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
It was converted with £14,000 in grant funding from Network Rail, Avanti, TransPennine Express and Northern after its original signalling equipment was removed in 2013 and control of the line was transferred elsewhere.
Network RailAmelia Routledge, from Network Rail, said it is a "first-of-its-kind project".
She said it was "really exciting" that a decommissioned signal box which would "eventually be demolished" could be turned into "an educational centre that the community can use".
Brian Haworth, from the Bentham Line Community Rail Partnership, who helped set up the facility, said the location is "just absolutely brilliant".
"A core subject for bringing the children here is rail safety, and I can't emphasise enough that you can't get a better location for talking about it," he said.
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