From Market Town to Railway City – The Railway Journey that Helped to Shape Doncaster.

This is an updated collection of all the beautiful work created over the last few years by students across the XP Trust schools, inspired by the centenary of the Flying Scotsman and the railway heritage of Doncaster.

This book has given us an opportunity to update the original content of the many rail expeditions, with quotes from experts and our community about the importance of railways, the steam engines built here and the ongoing rail-related business here that will help shape the future of rail.

Published to coincide with a centenary celebration visit from the Flying Scotsman, we humbly hope that this book, created by our students and a new generation of rail enthusiasts, will become part of our railway story.

“Rail matters because it connects Doncaster to the world and the world to us.  It matters because our heritage in the sector fills us with pride and helps to define who we are.  It matters because the rail engineering sector continues to thrive and because we have the capability to design the future of the industry.  It matters because the sector can provide brilliant jobs and exciting careers locally and around the world for our talented young people. It matters because rail freight and travel can play a big role in reducing our carbon emissions.  It matters because rail people are typically good people who are motivated to help and provide solutions for others.  It matters because, since retiring, my Dad has become a successful rail historian; researching and writing about railways gets him out of bed in a morning and gives me another reason to be fiercely proud of my wonderful father!”

Dan Fell, Chief Executive Officer, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce.

Flying Scotsman Centenary

“Doncaster is not only the place where so many of our country’s world-famous locomotives were manufactured; our city continues to be our hub for our nation’s rail industry. Doncaster hosts over fifty companies that either work on maintenance of the railways or the manufacturing of parts for our modern rail fleet, and Doncaster Train Station serves as the central node through which our main north-south and east-west lines intersect. With our local colleges providing state of the art educational facilities to train the next generation of engineers, rail remains at the heart of Doncaster.”

Rt Hon Dame Rosie Winterton DBE, MP for Doncaster Central.