Year 10 students from Meadow Park School in Coventry enjoyed a day out to Avanti West Coast‘s Oxley depot in Wolverhampton.

The visit, which saw Design and Technology students get a behind the scenes tour, was a result of Avanti West Coasts and Alstom’s partnership for a Feel Good Field Trip.

Oxley is home to Avanti’s new Evero trains, which entered service last month, and students were challenged with designing a new train livery, building a model bogie and repairing train brakes.

Students also got the chance to explore an Evero train and were given an insight into what is involved in launching a new train.

“The aim of today’s visit was to give youngsters a feel for the railway and the many career opportunities it affords them.

“The energy in the room was great to see and if we’ve given just one person the confidence to pursue a role in the railway, then it’s job done.”

Stacy Thundercliffe, Head of Fleet and Engineering at Avanti West Coast

“Days like today are invaluable, offering practical insight into how our students can apply the teachings of the classroom to a working environment.

“Seeing the new Evero train and gaining a greater understanding of the thinking behind some of the new design features employed to improve the travelling experience of all customer types, is something that will inspire students and feed into their own designs and ideas.”

Corrine MacLean, Curriculum Lead for Art, Food and Design and Technology at Meadow Park School