Train carriage to become Waltham Abbey primary school library

It took several days to transport the carriages and put them in place at the Essex school

A primary school has taken delivery of two old train carriages, one of which will be turned into a library.

The decommissioned carriages, one of which was first class, arrived at Upshire Primary Foundation School in Waltham Abbey, Essex, this week.

Both used to run on the King's Cross to Edinburgh line and were donated to the school for a nominal fee.

The headteacher said everyone was "so excited" and pupil Amy, 10, said "My heart is jumping about inside me".

By choosing two old train carriages, headteacher Jacqueline Blackburn had to admit: "We like to be different - and we've gone big this time."

One carriage will become a library and the other will be used for school activities and community use

Staff had travelled to London to look at old carriages owned by Porterbrook, a company that leases them to train operators, then tries to repurpose them when they reach the end of their working life.

"We thought a first class one for the library - with children sitting in the big seats, reading the books - that would just be the best thing ever," said the school's business manager, Julie Hockley.

It took several days to transport the carriages and hoist them securely into place on tracks that had already been installed in the playground and on the playing field.

The first class carriage will become the new school library, and the other carriage will be used for school clubs and will be made available for local community activities

The headteacher said it would take about six months to renovate the two carriages.

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