Friday 29th June 2018 saw Community Rail Lancashire launch their latest project, ‘Twin Tracks’ at Burscough Junction station. Working with St John’s RC Primary School, Burscough, and Sechseckshule Primary school in Erkrath, Germany, we are celebrating and displaying the differences and similarities of the two areas through language, art and photography.
As Erkrath is twinned with West Lancashire, we undertook a project of exchanging letters in both English and German by the children in the top classes of both schools, detailing their local area, how they relate to it, European similarities, differences and unity; all illustrated with art and photographs. St John’s, Burscough, has also undertaken CRL’s rail use and safety ‘Passengers of the Future’ programme.
These letters, photographs and pieces of artwork were made into two identical art pieces, one set for display at Burscough Junction and one for use within Sechseckshule Primary school in Erkrath. The artwork celebrates not only the local area of Burscough, but also the twinned relationship with Erkrath, and promotes European similarities and differences as perceived by the young people, giving them a unique opportunity to explore and learn about a different culture in a socially meaningful context. Both schools plan to continue this relationship into the future, with ongoing letter and card exchanges.
The Lancashire Probation service has cleared the disused platform at Burscough Junction, ready for the recycled flower tubs which the young people have planted. The school has agreed to maintain these in partnership with CRL.
All of this has revitalised an overgrown and unused platform, brightening and reinvigorating the station, and has completed the Preston to Ormskirk line as a route where all stations have a community rail/friends group project/work on display.
This project was funded by the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, Community Rail Lancashire and the Aviva Community Fund.