Network Rail and The Tree Council have established a partnership with a secondary school at Wythall in Worcestershire to show the students opportunities available from a career on the railway and how they can help enhance local wildlife.

To mark the new partnership, the chair of Network Rail and Central route director Denise Wetton were joined by staff and students of Woodrush Academy in Wythall and a representative from The Tree Council to plant trees in the academy grounds.

Woodrush Academy provides secondary education for students from North East Worcestershire, Solihull, and Birmingham Volunteers from Network Rail have been working with the school since 2023 to help students develop the school’s grounds by planting hundreds of trees and plants that will promote biodiversity and allow wildlife to thrive.

The aim is that the partnership between Network Rail, West Midlands Railway, and volunteers from the local railway known as the Friends of the Shakespeare Line, will provide students with an insight into the railway industry, its different career opportunities, and an opportunity to join the Network Rail apprenticeship scheme.

Throughout this year, Network Rail’s Central route will work with Woodrush Academy to offer students work experience and help them with writing their CVs and improving their interview skills.

Network Rail and The Tree Council have a history of working to enhance the environment, as they recently marked the fifth anniversary of planting traditional “railway hedges” to boost biodiversity, and have cut back trees in Somerset to enhance butterfly habitat.

I’m absolutely delighted to see our partnership with Woodrush Academy blossoming and the great work with The Tree Council, which is helping to transform the school’s outdoor spaces.

Communities and the environment are at the heart of our railway, so it’s brilliant to see our collaboration with Woodrush, West Midlands Railway and local partners. We hope to help inspire pupils to learn about horticulture, and also about the varied and rewarding roles available on our railway; the country s greenest form of public transport.

Peter, Lord Hendy, chair of Network Rail

We have been delighted to have forged such a strong collaborative partnership with Network Rail over this last couple of years. Woodrush is deeply committed to ensuring our students learn about our community and Network Rail has been the active ingredient to enhancing our curriculum for the young people we serve.

From developing local public spaces to learning about horticulture and sustainability, our relationship with Network Rail will truly leave a legacy on the lives and learning of our students.

Jay Barber, head teacher at Woodrush Academy

The railway is an important aspect of every community so the planting of hundreds of new trees and plants at Woodrush Academy shows how industry collaboration can go a long way to enhancing schools and local areas.

Partnerships like this are also crucial for encouraging young people to consider a career in rail and I hope the collaboration enables students to gain some valuable insight about the industry.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway

We’re really looking forward to providing ongoing support to the team and pupils at Woodrush High School following this year’s initial planting project which was delivered with support from Network Rail and West Midlands Trains.

Planting delivered by students and volunteers from Network Rail, has helped to diversify and extend the canopy cover in the grounds through the creation of a new shelterbelt including species such as Hornbeam, Birch, Crab Apple and ornamental Dogwoods, enhancing both the biodiversity and amenity value of the grounds.

Phil Paulo, head of major tree planting projects for The Tree Council