Over 70 children from a Swindon primary school have been learning about Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the contribution he made to the building of the railways.

The pupils from Beechcroft Infants School have travelled by GWR train to Bristol Temple Meads in the footsteps of Brunel to find out more about the man who designed and built the line from London to Bristol in the 1830s and 40s.  For many it was their first experience of train travel which was organised as part of a trip organised by Platform. The award winning community rail education organisation connects schools with the rail industry with bespoke days out by train with an educational theme.

After the 35 minute journey the children visited the statue of Brunel outside the station before going on to join in a series of railway themed activities.   After learning more about the famous engineer and taking part in a quiz, the youngsters then tried their hand in a number of engineering challenges based on the sort of problems some of the early railway engineers faced.

After lunch and two hours in Bristol they then took the train back to Swindon, tired but excited.

Liz Hancock, the school’s deputy headteacher, was delighted with the days out: “I have completed 3 visits with our Y1 classes, and I can honestly say that this enrichment experience has been the most meaningful opportunity I have had the pleasure to be involved with in my 23 year career.“

She went on “EVERY child benefitted from this experience in different ways.   Every member of staff was up skilled in some way. Most empowering is the realisation that with the right knowledge and planning, even the most daunting task can be successful and even enjoyable!  Without doubt, this experience improved the life experiences of a significant number of children. Over 50% of the year group went on a train for the first time!  This would not have been possible without the passion, organisation and funding behind this initiative.  Thank you so much for having this vision and making this valuable opportunity accessible and so enjoyable.”

Sophie Martin, Community Rail Office for TransWilts, one of the Community Rail Partnerships which supports Platform said: “It has been great to see Platform in action this week.

In addition to their usual inspiring workshops and trips, they were keen to play their part in this year’s Railway200 celebrations. Especially as the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset were so significant in the creation of the network.

The Brilliant Brunel programme was born and once again Platform has successfully engaged Swindon communities with the railway, allowing Beechcroft School students to learn about railway history and gain confidence in using sustainable transport.

We are very proud of the Platform team. It is such a worthwhile project to be part of. Long may it continue.”

Platform launched in May 2022 and offers a series of bespoke activities both in classrooms and out of school.  Funded by the rail industry, the programme helps to give students the confidence to travel by train at no cost to the schools involved.  Over 15,000 children have benefited from their work so far.

2025 sees a series of events under the Railway 200 banner, celebrating the bi-centenary of the birth of the railways and Platform is developing a series of programmes to showcase the history of train travel and the modern opportunities it offers.