About Us

Platform is an award-winning rail education scheme that works with schools to empower young people in accessing the railways.

 

Through free workshops, train-trips, and bespoke, local resources, Platform helps teachers to build their students’ knowledge of rail-safety, their understanding of sustainable and healthy travel, and their confidence in using trains.

Platform supports schools in building cultural-capital with out-of-classroom experiences; helps schools to embed sustainable learning into their curriculum; and promotes access to future opportunities available to young people through train travel.

Since launching the scheme in May 2022, the Platform team have delivered rail education to over 15,000 young people, and taken over 7,000 of them on train trips.

Meet the Team

What is Community Rail?

Platform is a collaborative programme that delivers community rail education on behalf of Gloucestershire, Severnside, South Wessex, TransWilts and Worcestershire Community Rail Partnerships. You can find out more about the incredible work going on in these partnerships by clicking on their links at the bottom of this page.

Our five Community Rail Partnerships form part of the wider Community Rail network.

Community rail is a growing grassroots movement made up of community rail partnerships and groups across Britain. They engage communities and help people get the most from their railways, promoting social inclusion and sustainable travel, working alongside train operators to bring about improvements, and bringing stations back to life.

There are four pillars which underpin the work of community rail partnerships across the country:

  • providing a voice for the community;
  • promoting sustainable, healthy and accessible travel;
  • bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion;
  • supporting social and economic development.

Find out more about the Community Rail Network here.

Who are our funders?

Platform is lucky to receive funding from Great Western Railway, Cross Country, and The Community Rail Network. Thanks to the joint funding provided by these organisations, Platform are able to work with schools at no cost to the schools themselves.

 

We’re here to help you

For more information and support, you can contact the Platform team here.