An initiative has been launched in the West Midlands to encourage children to travel by train to visit places of interest and to celebrate Railway 200.

The initiative, named ‘Visit 200’, is being run by a partnership between West Midlands Railway and West Coventry Academy.

It challenges the thousands of children in Coventry, Solihull, and Warwickshire to travel by train to try to visit 200 different railway stations across the country.

Inspired by the Railway 200 celebrations, the scheme offers schools and colleges the opportunity to arrange special journeys for groups of students to experience new destinations and help build their confidence in travelling by train.

Although many people travel by train every day, some students have never been on a train.

Visit 200 hopes to bring the excitement and opportunities of travelling by train to children across Coventry, Solihull, and Warwickshire.

Railway 200 is a nationwide campaign celebrating the bicentenary of the modern railway. Destinations to be visited and ticked off during 2025 are listed on the Visit 200 project’s webpage which was built by students from the Academy.

School and colleges can register their interest in making a journey and find out more Visit 200 online at www.visit200.co.uk, but teachers should sign up for their visits at least six weeks in advance to provide sufficient time to make the necessary travel arrangements.

Next week, students from West Coventry Academy will make one of the first visits as part of the project when they travel to Watford Junction to visit the nearby Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Volunteers from Community Rail Partnerships throughout the country will be involved in future visits with bespoke activities and offering tours to students.

Younger students are also being encouraged to produce a design for a “Station of the Future”, and the best submissions will be displayed at the Coventry Transport Museum.

Last summer, some of Britain’s heritage railways including the Great Central Railway and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway offered children the chance to travel by train for just £1.

“We want our students to feel confident using the railway network so they can get out and about and gain independence before they leave school. This project is a fun way for all ages to enjoy train travel, from primary school up to college. We re delighted with the uptake we ve had so far from schools across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire. We look forward to working closely with West Midlands Railway and Coventry City Council to make each visit happen.“

Jo Kerr, career counsellor from West Coventry Academy