Southwark schoolgirls design and build their own tube station

Teams of pupils from St Saviour's and St Olave's School and St Martin-in-the-Fields High School received a brief and specifications to construct a station.

Just like real architects and engineers designing a station, the girls had to consider factors such as security, step free access and the environmental impact of building a station that would be used by thousands of passengers a day.

The 30 students from years eight and nine had a fictional budget of £1.5 million and were able to purchase materials from an engineering store.

When the station was completed they also had to produce a poster and do a presentation to promote their station's design and features.

The project was designed by Tube Lines in partnership with the London Engineering Project.

Tube Lines, which is now part of Transport for London, is particularly interested in raising awareness of the variety of jobs in engineering to female students and encouraging them to consider a career in engineering to help address the current under-representation of women in the industry.

Tube Lines staff supported and advised pupils on their designs throughout the day. There were prizes for the best design, best poster and presentation and best teamwork.

"The designs that the students created were very impressive," says senior project manager Michael Minta who judged the finished models.

"It was fantastic to see teams coming up with innovations and environmentally friendly ideas that have actually been explored or included in station upgrade projects delivered by Tube Lines."