INTERVIEW WITH A STUDENT AT NEW CROSS GATE DEPOT: TRACK TO THE FUTURE PROGRAMME
As the fourth cohort of the Track to the Future programme concluded this month, students from Mulberry Academy Shoreditch gained fresh insights into the rail industry through a partnership between ARL and The Talent Foundry. Designed to address key social challenges such as antisocial behaviour and ticketless travel, this programme takes young people beyond the platform and into the world of rail careers, responsibility, and innovation.
In the second session of the four-part programme, students were taken to New Cross Gate depot to learn about train maintenance and work on their projects with ARL volunteers.
Exchange Extra spoke to one of the sixth form students after this session about her experience.
Full name: Rahma Samatar
Education: A level and BTEC student
Dream job: Diplomat
You are halfway through the Track to the Future programme – how has it been going so far?
Rahma: Very engaging and enjoyable. The railway is a different sector from school. I wouldn’t have learnt all this if I hadn’t come. I thought we would just be looking at trains. Didn’t expect to see the behind-the-scenes of how it works and the people that are involved in it.
Before starting this programme, what did you think about the rail industry?
R: Honestly, I didn’t think about it much before. I just used public transport and didn’t connect what I used with the work that goes behind it.
How have the mentors from ARL supported or inspired you during the workshops?
R: One thing I have taken from the mentors and their experience is that no matter the degree you pursue, you can find yourself somewhere else. Everyone had different backgrounds, and they ended up in the rail industry. As the project has progressed, I feel comfortable discussing our ideas with them. Usually, I would feel anxious about expressing my ideas, but I feel more engaged and confident with the project as we go on.
What’s one skill you’ve developed or improved so far, and how could it could help you?
R: One skill that I have picked up is public speaking and developing ideas. This project has helped me not just think about an idea but also plan how to follow through with it. Also, analysing an idea to see what works and doesn’t work from different angles.
Has taking part in this programme changed the way you see rail stations and services?
R: Very much. It makes me more appreciative of what they do. The mentor was talking about the time and effort they put in. Even on Christmas they have to work at times, and you never think about the hard work that goes into that.
Although it hasn't sparked a direct desire for a career in rail for this student, it has helped her connect what she is learning in school with real-world issues.
“I study criminology, and we learn about how people can be selfish and only think about their own problems in society. Most people who trespass and don’t tap in at the stations don’t think about the engineers and the working-class people who work in rail when they do this. They don’t see the impact their actions are causing. Seeing the workers in person put that thought in perspective for me.”
What are you most looking forward to as the programme wraps up?
R: I’m excited to see the final product of what we've planned for our project and to see the contrast between how different it is from where it started.
Summing up her experience in one sentence, the student said:
“The programme is very educational and insightful.”
One of the ARL volunteers involved in the programme shared her perspective too:
“It’s been genuinely rewarding to watch the students' confidence grow. Seeing them question things more deeply, speak up with their own ideas, and gain an appreciation for the real-world impact of rail, that’s what this programme is about.”
As Track to the Future nears its conclusion, it's clear that it’s doing more than introducing students to rail careers. It challenges perspectives, builds confidence, and shapes how young people see their place in the wider world.
Thank you to Samantha Nakirya, stakeholder & community manager, for organising this initiative, and to all the volunteers who participated in shaping these young minds.
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