All Aboard Project

Posters coming soon to railway stations in the Midlands! 🚊

All Aboard – a bit more about the project.

I've had some really lovely messages over the past few days, so I just wanted to say thank you and share a bit more about what this project is all about.

All Aboard is looking at the experiences of autistic children and young people who have a special interest in trains and railways.

We're really interested in hearing about:
-what works well
-anything that can be challenging
-ideas for how things could be improved
-and also just the joy that trains bring!

One of the key things about this project is that it’s participatory, which basically means we’re not setting everything in stone from the start. Young people will help shape it, and there isn’t just one way to take part.

That might be chatting, emailing, sharing photos, writing things down, or something else entirely - whatever works best.

The aim is to bring these experiences together and feed back to railway companies and organisations, so they can better understand and support autistic passengers and enthusiasts.

This Project is funded by the University of Warwick's Participatory Research Fund. As a small thank you, there will be a £300 prize draw in vouchers for those who contribute.

If you or your young person might be interested, feel free to get in touch at [email protected] and keep an eye on this page.

Sarah

What is participatory research?

You might see us mention that All Aboard is a 'participatory' research project, but what does that actually mean?

In simple terms, it means we’re working together with autistic children and young people and their families, not doing research on them.

So if you're autistic and love trains, the railway, stations, journeys, or even just watching trains go by, your experiences matter. What you enjoy, what you find difficult, and what you wish could be different can all help shape this project.

Your ideas can influence what we focus on, what questions we ask, and even the direction the project takes.

There’s no 'right' way to take part. You can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with, in a way that works for you.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved, feel free to email us at [email protected] 💛

🚆 Welcome to All Aboard 🚆

All Aboard is a research project from the University of Warwick exploring the experiences of autistic children and young people and their families when engaging with the railway.

We’re especially interested in hearing from young people who love trains. What brings you joy about the railway? Do you have favourite journeys, stations, or train types? And if you could say something to rail companies, what would you want them to know to make things even better?

This is a participatory project, which means your ideas and experiences will help shape what we focus on and where the project goes next.

You can share your thoughts in whatever way feels most comfortable for you, whether that’s by email, a Teams call, or meeting in person with your families. There may also be opportunities to take part in workshops or group discussions as the project develops.

As a thank you, participants will be entered into a prize draw with £300 in vouchers available across multiple prizes.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved, please email us at [email protected]

We’re really looking forward to hearing from you 💛