Railway History: The Rise of the Railway Station (FutureLearn)

You’ll explore York’s Railway Museum – one of the UK’s most popular museums – and go behind the scenes to locations that are not open to the public.

With this unique insight, you’ll reflect on how railway station heritage can be preserved and displayed.

Explore railway stations as an aspect of British architecture

Victorian railway stations are a highly visible aspect of Britain’s built environment. On the course, you’ll explore how the innovative architecture and design of these stations have had a significant influence on British architecture.

You’ll also discover how stations helped to shape the urban environments of towns and cities and to draw people into rural locations.

Explore the role of the stationmaster and other station staff

Next, you’ll unpack the uses of railway stations and the people within them.

You’ll learn how stations have helped stimulate an economy centred on railway travel and provided jobs to a new cohort of workers including stationmasters, ticket office staff, and transport police.

You’ll delve further into the role of station people to understand their experiences and the current issues regarding the treatment and safety of station staff.

Learn more about the history of British railways

Finally, you’ll consider how railway stations have been represented throughout British culture in art, film, and literature.

By the end of the course, you’ll understand the importance of railway stations in British history.

Syllabus

Week 1: Architecture and Design

Week 2: Using the Station

Week 3: Station People

Week 4: The Station in the Cultural Imagination

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Demonstrate an understanding of the history of British railway stations and their development through time

- Debate issues in railway station history

- Investigate railway station history by following up on course materials and finding new information

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in British history, railway heritage, and industrial heritage.

It will be most beneficial for current railway employees and current employees in industrial heritage such as museum curators.