Pupils at a Liverpool primary school have taken to the drawing board to design a new station for the Merseyrail network.
Children from years five and six at Windsor Community Primary School in Toxteth were asked to come up with ideas for the proposed Liverpool Baltic station. The station would be located on Merseyrail's Northern Line, between Liverpool Central and Brunswick.
To inspire the children, Network Rail teamed up with Merseytravel, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and contractor Mott MacDonald. They worked with what could well be the next generation of young engineers, architects and railway workers as 40 children, aged between ten and 12, were asked to design what they thought would be the perfect railway station.
Over the last six weeks, the group involved found out about the proposed station. They donned hi-vis jackets and undertook a site visit to understand where the future station would be built. Once back in the classroom, they learnt about what passengers need from a 21st-century railway station before committing their blueprints to paper.
When they'd completed that stage they were finally ready to build models of their designs.
They produced many ideas, including prayer rooms, accessible features and green spaces. These would be installed alongside the usual facilities found in stations such as waiting rooms, lifts and ticket machines.
The proposal to open a station follows massive regeneration in the area to the south of Liverpool city centre known as the Baltic Triangle. Long an industrial area located near the south docks, the area takes its name from the famous and well-established Baltic Fleet pub. In the last decades the area has seen more than 1,000 apartments built with plans for 3,000 more. A large and diverse number of small businesses is located in the area and numerous entertainment venues, including bars and restaurants as well as the Baltic Market, have opened. That station would also be close to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the city's Chinatown which is also being regenerated.
There was a station at the site which opened in 1874 and derelict platforms can still be seen as trains pass through on their way to Hunts Cross in the south and Southport in the north. St James Street closed in 1917 to save money as the First World War continued to rage.
It was never reopened. The new name, chosen after a public poll, differs from the original in part because it could be confused with James Street, another city centre station serving the Wirral Line. Estimates suggest that as many as 3.9m journeys could be made in the first year of operation, rising to 8.5m within 20 years. Actual designs for a future station in this location are in their very early stages with no timeline yet set for when it might be built.
Jennie Karkoszka, Windsor Community Primary School deputy head teacher, said: “Participating in the Baltic Train Station Project has been such a valuable learning experience for our pupils. Not only has it provided them with a deeper insight into local history but has also given them the opportunity to immerse themselves in creative design as well as meeting role models working within their community, raising aspirations for their own futures and the area they live in.”
Paul Gabbott, Network Rail scheme project manager, said: “It's been a delight to work with the kids over the last few weeks getting them engaged in designing then building scale models of their perfect Baltic station. When realised, forecasts show it could be the third busiest station on the entire Merseyrail network, so it's lovely to think these children will remember their lessons every time they travel by train – and one day through a reinstated Baltic station – in the future.”
Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport committee said: “We're delighted that we were able to host the children from one of our local schools for this workshop and it's fascinating to see their ideas for the new station.
“We expect the station to act as a catalyst for the on-going regeneration of the local area, so it's great to get them involved at this early stage. They are the future generations who will benefit from this new development for many years to come and we look forward to welcoming them back when the station opens.”
Sally Ralston, Merseyrail community involvement manager, said: “Merseyrail are delighted to work on this project with Windsor Primary School and help to inspire these youngsters in their future careers when they are older. Engaging the communities around our network is what Merseyrail is all about, and this project will, I am sure, live long in the memories for these pupils.
“The children came up with some brilliant ideas and designs. I'm sure the final version of the station will incorporate many of their ideas, and hopefully they will feel real pride at the contribution they will have made to the project.”
Sam Thorpe, Mott MacDonald senior stakeholder associate, said: “'The engagement sessions at Windsor Primary School have been as rewarding for Mott MacDonald as they have for the pupils. It has been our pleasure to be involved over the last few weeks. The children have been full of enthusiasm and great ideas, when creating their train models and clearly there are many future designers and engineers in the class. Liverpool Baltic will provide a fantastic community connection, which the children and their families will all benefit from.”
