Community uses chosen for redundant Pacers

An NHS Trust, a mental health charity and a primary school have each won a Pacer vehicle as part of a Government-run competition.

Airedale NHS Trust plans to convert its vehicle into a mixed-use, non-clinical space to ‘improve the experience’ of patients using Airedale General Hospital. This will have particular focus on helping children and families as well as those suffering with dementia.

Platform 1, a men’s mental health charity, will convert its vehicle into a kitchen to teach cooking skills to those it supports. 

Fagley Primary School, in Bradford, will use its vehicle as a new science laboratory to help promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning. It will also be available for the wider community to hold talks and events.

The competition was launched to mark the end of Pacer use in the north of England. Porterbrook, which owns the ‘144’, will donate the vehicles when the train is withdrawn by Northern.

• For the FULL story, read RAIL 898, published on February 12, and available digitally from February 8.