Citizens' Rail European project: update

As part of the Citizens' Rail European project the SSTO's Institute of Transport and Tourism (ITT) are looking at the work of Northern Rail's community ambassadors - a pioneering scheme to encourage more community engagement with the stations and train services.

Among other activities, Sultana Jamil, one of the ambassadors, takes parties out on trains and explains about how to buy a ticket, how to find to about the train you are catching and the different places you can go.

Dr Jo Guiver praised the scheme: "What became evident during the journey was how Sultana had done her homework about the group and was prepared to explain simple things which experienced train-users take for granted, such as how to buy a ticket and find out the ultimate destination of your train, so you recognise it on the departure board."

The Institute will present their findings from interviews and observation to a group of European partners at the Citizens' Rail project in Aachen during October.