Steam to school

Pupils in Loughborough are being encouraged to use a steam train to get them to school.

The Harry Potter-style Schools Special takes pupils from Leicester, Rothley and Quorn to Loughborough Grammar.

The Great Central Railway is trialling the route and needs 200 regular pupils to make the service work.

Head teacher Paul Fisher said it was important to find alternative ways to travel to school. It is hoped the train will operate full time from September.

"We have a big problem with traffic in Loughborough and it's important for us to make sure the children who can, can travel on a different form of transport," said Mr Fisher.

"We can take one-third of the traffic away from the city by using this train."

One pupil, who was trying out the train on Wednesday, said: "It's just a bit different. It's like being on the Hogwarts Express."