A former railway signal box overlooking Morecambe Bay has been given a new lease of life as an innovative STEM education facility, helping young people discover more about science, technology, engineering, mathematics and rail safety.
The newly opened Box on the Bay project at Hest Bank has transformed the former railway signal box into an engaging classroom space, complete with displays showing live train movements that pupils can follow in real time. The London Midland Region Type 15 signal box originally opened in December 1958 and played an important role in operating part of the West Coast Main Line before being decommissioned in 2013.
The project has been delivered through a collaborative partnership involving the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, Network Rail, and train operators including CrossCountry, which supported the initiative through a community funding programme and in-kind assistance.
Gerald Townson, Chairman of the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, said: “It has been a genuine pleasure to work together with Network Rail North West and Central to create this unique space for education about the railway and Morecambe Bay. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the train operators Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, Northern and CrossCountry for creating a community funding pot and for offering in-kind support for the project.”
The Box on the Bay facility was officially opened on 10 July by Network Rail, with representatives from across the rail industry and the community rail sector attending the event. The first visitors to experience the new learning space were pupils and staff from St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Heysham. Children took part in educational sessions focusing on rail safety and bridge construction, bringing classroom learning into a real-world railway environment.
Located alongside one of Britain's busiest rail corridors and overlooking Morecambe Bay, the facility provides a unique setting for pupils to learn about the railway, engineering principles and safe behaviour around the rail network. Rail safety will be a key focus of future educational activities at the site, with the location offering an opportunity for young people to learn in an authentic railway environment while gaining a greater understanding of how the railway operates.
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