As part of Siemens Mobility’s commitment to transforming its local communities, 11 volunteers arranged and hosted a full-day STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) event, alongside railway industry partners, with Carstairs Junction Primary School.
Students (from nursery to primary) took part in six different STEM activities based on subjects already taught as part of the curriculum, including the Titanic, safari, and solar energy.
Activities included designing and building wind-powered boats, battery-powered cars, solar-powered robots, a wind turbine, and a sustainable city. In total, volunteers from Siemens Mobility, Network Rail, CK Contracts, Rail Systems Alliance and SPL Powerlines delivered the activities to around 70 pupils and received great feedback from the pupils and the teachers.
Campbell Braid, Director of Operations, for Siemens Mobility, said:
“Our 250+ colleagues in Scotland are passionate about keeping people and freight moving around the country, yet our impact is much wider than transport. We’re embedded in the communities in which we work, and this activity shows just that.
While we are involved in the modernisation of Carstairs Junction on the West Coast Main Line to improve reliability and journey times we are delighted to be working with Carstairs Junction Primary School again, following the new ‘garden’ classroom we funded last year.
I’m delighted that we’re supporting, and I think our employees enjoyed it as much as the children!”
Jill Armour, Head Teacher, at Carstairs Junction Primary school said:
“We would like to thank Siemens Mobility for leading a fantastic STEM Day in February.
The day was filled with engaging activities for all ages, stages and needs. Evidence of skills for life learning and work were in abundance, from demonstrating creativity, working with others to showing initiative and adapting skills to a different environment...the list goes on!
The staff and pupils thought the Siemens team's warmth and support shone through.”
In partnership with Network Rail and other industry partners, Siemens Mobility is delivering significant railway infrastructure works at Carstairs Junction. The modernisation programme will simplify the track layout and upgrade to Siemens Mobility’s modern signalling technology.
As a major junction on the West Coast Main Line, where the lines from London Euston and Edinburgh to Glasgow Central merge, the Carstairs Junction modernisation will help to encourage more passengers and freight operators to use the railway in Scotland with safe, reliable, and future-proofed journeys.
