Leven rail link engineers inspire school pupils with STEM project visit

Engineers working on the Levenmouth rail link visited the school’s extended support department last week to give students an insight into how STEM relates to the railway.

The interactive workshops saw pupils working with construction toy K’NEX focusing on designing, building and testing the strength of a railway bridge. The pupils also heard from engineers in a series of safety talks.

Adele Lynch, teacher at Levenmouth Academy said: “All our staff have been raving about how well the day went and how every single pupil engaged in the activities. Thank you to everyone on the rail link project for taking the time to get to know the needs of our learners and for pitching their input just right. Also, a massive thank you for the equipment, it will be well used in our department. We are all very excited to see the railway open up in our community and can’t wait to use it this summer.”

The workshops reflected the ongoing works on the rail link and offered an expert-led education on designing and building railway bridges.

Members of the project team finished the day by donating the K’NEX kit to the department so that the kids and staff could use it for other school projects.

Steven McCrae, project manager for Siemens, who are delivering elements of the project on behalf of Network Rail said: “I’d like to thank the staff and the kids at the school for the warm welcome they gave us, the attention they paid, and for making the day fun, eye-opening and heart-warming.

“We’re all grateful we could spend time sharing our experience with the kids, and hopefully giving them encouragement and determination to attend school, learn and gain valuable life skills they’ll remember forever.

“It was a great opportunity to highlight the importance of staying safe around the railway as well as discussing the positive impact and opportunities that the new rail transport option will bring.”

When complete, the rail link will see Leven connected to the mainline rail network for the first time in 50 years.