College students looking for a career in the railway industry visited one of Northern’s largest maintenance depots and helped to improve an East Lancs station.

Students on the eight-week Level 2 NVQ Railway Maintenance Course at Accrington & Rossendale College visited the Newton Heath Train Care Depot last month.

The depot is crucial to the upkeep of Northern’s 150, 156, and 195 train fleets.

During the visit, the students were introduced to various roles within the depot and learned 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.

Prior to that, the group visited Accrington station to team up with Community Rail Lancashire followed by a detailed tour of the station.

Students were also trained on how to perform safety-critical calls at the platform, an essential aspect of their future roles in the railway industry.

As well, they joined forces with the station adopter 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.

Ste Latimer, course tutor, said “ This partnership has allowed learners to help the local community and move forward through education into the rail industry.”

Dave Savage, community rail officer, 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."