A BLIND teenager with a passion for trains has enjoyed a first class work experience placement.

Lucas Murray, 16, from Poole, who also has disabilities, spent a week with South Western Railway.

His mum Sarah said the rail operator had offered her son a "phenomenal" experience which saw Lucas assist at the barriers at Bournemouth Railway Station on his first day.

While on his second day, Lucas had the chance to travel to the Isle of Wight as a first class passenger where he enjoyed a trip on the ferry, during which he sat on the bridge with the captain, and also travelled on the Isle of Wight’s Island Line rail service.

Speaking on Wednesday Sarah said: “Today he went to Basingstoke to the regional control centre, met the Twitter team (who he follows religiously) and actually recorded a delay announcement which was then played across all the London stations.”

She said Lucas was also due to visit the Siemens depot where he was going to learn about incident reporting and handling before returning to Bournemouth railway station for his final day where he would focus on station control.

Sarah added: “They have offered our train-obsessed young man THE best work experience ever.”