Two schools from Kent will take part in a unique project to commemorate the Great War, focusing on the significance and the vital role that the railway played in World War One. The project run by Eurostar, will be supported with the help of VISITFLANDERS and SNCB (Belgian Railways).Children from two schools in Kent aged 8-12 (Year 3-6) will be encouraged to visit Flanders on a trial visit by rail to the Flanders Fields area. A total of twenty pupils from one school will travel on a day trip to Ypres and twenty pupils from the Cliffe Woods Primary School will visit Ostend and Ypres for an overnight trip to the area. VISITFLANDERS role will be to support the pupils with ground arrangements in Flanders.

The Railways played a significant role during the Great War and the entire conflict, from start to finish, was in fact reliant on railways in terms of its transportation of soldiers, refugees and transportation of munitions and equipment. The Eurostar project hopes to highlight the role of this little-known subject by way of educating and better informing children, particularly in this centenary year. They also hope that younger generations will be further inspired by visiting the area and the project should demonstrate the ease and relative proximity of Flanders and its historical cities as well as its battlefield area, to the UK and in particular Kent.

School children will learn the significance of the railways with regard to military planning prior to the war being declared, the role of women at home who kept railways running and the work they contributed to in the railway factories. The subject of train travel is well documented and demonstrated in a new exhibition about the city of Poperinge, home to a major WW1 railway terminus. Heavy Traffic is a detailed scale model (1:76) which provides a glimpse into life around this town (behind the front) and offers a modern versus past image comparision.   School children will also be able to discover the evolution of the railway during WW1 from the switch of steam to fuel generated engines and the signing of the Armistice which took place in a railway carriage in Compiegne.

The second phase of this project will take the form of inviting other schools in the UK to take part in the programme from 2015 with the hope that other schools in the area can gain by the educational value of the commemorative programme in an enjoyable but respectful way for younger children. VISITFLANDERS looks forward to taking part in this exciting trial and helping to educate a new generation about the meaning of peace.

-Ends-

For more information contact:

• Anita Rampall – Press Manager // anita@visitflanders.co.uk // 0207 307 7741

• Karen Roebuck – Great War Centenary Manager// karen@visitflanders.co.uk // 0207 307 7734

Editors Notes

VISITFLANDERS

Situated in the Flemish speaking North of Belgium Flanders charms with cities filled with historic attractions and architecture as well as world-renowned cuisine, chocolate and quality beer. Historically, the region of Flanders Fields paid an important role in the Great War and with its centenary taking place this year, there are many intriguing and thought provoking sites in the areas around Ypres and West Flanders to visit.  As well as refurbishments to museums, improvements and new visitor centres recently opened, the area of Flanders Fields will be in the spotlight with a number of newly created events and exhibitions taking place during 2014-18.

For more information, visit www.visitflanders.co.uk

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Ypres, Flanders

Ypres is located in West Flanders where much of the fighting took place during WW1. It was the centre of intense and sustained battles between German and Allied forces. The region was fought over from October 1914 until practically the end of the war in November 1918. There were four main battles in Ypres during the war, and the British were involved in each one.

The town of Ypres was completely decimated during the war. Despite the destruction, Ypres was painstakingly rebuilt, using pre-war building plans to almost the same specifications to its pre-war state. Many locals who had to flee during the war years, returned to Ypres afterwards to continue their lives. Money from German reparations was used to rebuild the city and the last of the building work only took place in the late 1960's. Some years later it became a pilgrimage site for British veterans and today is home to the daily Last Post ceremony which began in 1928, takes place at the Menin Gate, daily at 8p.m.

Today, Ypres is considered a 'city of peace' and maintains a close relationship with the city of Hiroshima – Ypres was one of the first places where poison gas was used, and Hiroshima was the first city to suffer nuclear weapons.

Virtual Worldwide Poppy Field

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