- dawnbranton
- Jul 9
- 1 min read
We're pleased to see rail safety education becoming part of the national curriculum in England, from September 2026, recognising the importance of helping young people understand how to stay safe around the railway.
Community Rail Partnerships and members of the Community Rail Education Network have long worked with schools, rail partners and local communities to bring rail safety learning to life through engaging, place-based activities and classroom sessions.
The refreshed Switched On resources, alongside the updated RSHE guidance, are a positive step in ensuring teachers have the tools they need to support these important conversations and reinforce safe behaviours.
Together, we're helping young people build the confidence and knowledge to travel safely while developing a lifelong understanding of the railway and the role it plays in our communities.
- dawnbranton
- Jun 23
- 1 min read
A major programme of activity for 2025-26 was undertaking a feasibility study of the old Crossing Keeper’s Cottage at Thornton Abbey, to assess possible uses of the cottage.
In summary, to secure the future of the cottage, the most viable option is to transform it into a flexible community and visitor hub that can serve a variety of users and generate income throughout the year. A project such as this could celebrate the area’s railway and local heritage through displays and interpretation, while also providing space for community events, meetings, remote working, and visitor facilities.
Restoring the building and adapting it for these uses will require significant investment and similar projects elsewhere have shown that this type of mixed-use approach offers the best chance of long-term success. The project could bring important benefits to the local area by attracting more visitors, supporting local businesses, creating opportunities for heritage skills training, and providing affordable space for community groups and organisations. However, the scale, complexity, and cost of the restoration work mean that it is beyond the capacity and remit of Barton Cleethorpes CRP to deliver directly. Instead, the project would need to be led by a larger community organisation with the resources, expertise, and governance arrangements required to secure funding and manage delivery. If this could be done Barton Cleethorpes CRP would attend and support a steering group for the work.
- dawnbranton
- May 12
- 1 min read
Barton Cleethorpes CRP celebrated a successful year of community and school activities at Goxhill Railway Station, bringing together residents, volunteers and pupils from Goxhill Primary School through rail safety education, art and environmental projects.
The programme provided rail safety education before pupils visited the station’s historic Victorian signal box to learn how trains are still signalled along the Barton line. Inspired by the railway’s heritage, the children later took part in the Railway 200: Art Along the Line art competition, with their artwork now displayed at the station. Pupils also enjoyed a day out by train to experience the railway from a passenger’s perspective, reinforcing important safety messages about responsible behaviour at stations and on trains.
The project concluded with a planting day, where children worked with station adopters to add more than 100 pollinator-friendly plants to station planters, helping support local wildlife and brighten the station environment.
Alongside the school activities, the partnership delivered a community-led mosaic project centred on Goxhill Station. Residents, volunteers and rail users attended a series of creative workshops to design the artwork, which was officially unveiled on Tuesday 12 May.
The finished mosaic depicts a steam train arriving beside Goxhill’s historic signal box, surrounded by crates of produce destined for nearby towns and cities such as Barton-upon-Humber and Hull. Inspired by archive photographs, the piece celebrates the railway’s importance to local communities and the people whose lives were shaped by it.
Together, the projects have strengthened community connections, celebrated local heritage and helped build a lasting relationship with their railway.