A ‘SuperSquad’ of 150 teenagers has been helping LNER shape the future of rail travel.

The 13- to 18-year-olds, who all live along the LNER route, were recruited by the company’s Digital Team which set an innovation challenge in association with the social enterprise StartUp Sherpas.  The organisation provides real-life paid opportunities which enable budding entrepreneurs to develop their skills.  All of those recruited live along the LNER route, which stretches from London King’s Cross to Inverness, serving major destinations such as Leeds, York, Newcastle, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.

The hand-picked group needed to come up with creative ideas which would make them want to choose train travel in the future and leave the car behind.  To get the group thinking, the entire squad was taken on a journey on one of LNER’s Azuma trains.  For many of the youngsters, this was the first time to experience travelling by train.  It obviously sparked some creative thinking as more than 1,000 ideas came forth.

Four clear themes emerged from the exercise and will be investigated further.  One would involve promoting the ‘office on rails’, where designated office carriages would be available for people to work, study or revise. Teenager-only carriages were proposed, creating a safe space for all travellers. A new, tiered ticketing system could be introduced based on WiFi access while ‘Rail Rewards’ would see a gamified loyalty scheme linked to discounts and partnerships.

The ideas were sent for discussion to LNER’s directors to see if any of the ideas could become a reality. A report, entitled ‘Young People – The Champions of Rail’ has been made available publicly and can be read on StartUp Sherpas’ website. Anyone interested in the next SuperSquad can also register their interest by visiting the website.

Frances Walker, Head of Digital Experience Strategy at LNER, said: “We’re so impressed by the quality and depth of the ideas that the squad developed. The project has given us some great insight into what customers of the future think is important when it comes to rail travel and we’re already looking at developing another SuperSquad to investigate the Rail Rewards concept further. It’s clear to see that the next generation has some fantastic ideas on how to ensure rail remains an exciting and relevant way to travel.”

SuperSquad member George O’Brien added: “The LNER squad has given me an insight into how trains are run and that there is so much more to them than getting you from point A to B. It made me think about how to advertise rail to a younger audience and I think the squad came up with some amazing ideas! It was a privilege to be picked for this squad and I’ll use the skills I learnt in it for the rest of my life.”

Startup Sherpas founder, Hugo Pickford-Wardle, the founder of StartUp Sherpas, said: “We have been delighted to partner with LNER, a forward-thinking organisation which shares our view that, whatever the next steps are from this, young people must be part of it.”