A primary school has taken delivery of two old train carriages, one of which will be turned into a library.

The decommissioned carriages, one of which was first class, arrived at Upshire Primary Foundation School in Waltham Abbey last week.

Both used to run on the King's Cross to Edinburgh line and were donated to the school for a nominal fee.

Staff had travelled to London to look at old carriages owned by Porterbrook, a company that leases them to train operators, then tries to repurpose them when they reach the end of their working life.

It took several days to transport the carriages and put them in place at the Epping school. Photo: Julie Hockley

It took several days to transport the carriages and put them in place at the Epping school. Photo: Julie Hockley

It took several days to transport the carriages and hoist them securely into place on tracks that had already been installed in the playground and on the playing field.

The first class carriage is to be used as a library and the other carriage will be for extended services such as pre-school and breakfast and afterschool club.

Both carriages will also be available for use by the wider community outside of school hours once they are completed.

The headteacher said: “The children enjoyed watching them being moved into their final positions and the staff have many great ideas of how to use the carriages for the benefit of the whole community out of school hours.

It took several days to transport the carriages and put them in place at the Epping school. Photo: Julie Hockley

It took several days to transport the carriages and put them in place at the Epping school. Photo: Julie Hockley

“We are very grateful to everyone who has supported the project this far and are looking forward to watching the transformation from carriage to classroom.”

She predicts it will take about six months to renovate the two carriages.