THE Dales School in Cowpen Road, Blyth, Northumberland, has been donated ‘Pacer’ No. 144002 (DMB No. 55802 + DMSL No. 55825) by Porterbrook, being delivered on July 20.
Network Rail donated track and a buffer stop, and provided labour to lay this in the school yard. Railway Support Services (RSS) provided the haulage of the two-car Class 144 unit from Worksop to Blyth. Civil engineering work was undertaken in the school yard by Clancy, with NR starting track laying on April 16.
The primary school works with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. More than half the children at the school have never been on a real train.
The coaches will be used as a ‘Reading Together Library’ to help engage children with reading. A railway course, supported by Network Rail, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express, is being introduced to help children develop career aspirations linked with the railway. This will use a train-driving simulator with the DMU used to teach independent train travel, and railway safety. This will be particularly important when the new Northumberland line opens in 2024.