A teenage boy who had never travelled by train said his fears had been eased and he felt calm and confident after going on a supported first journey.

Michael, 16, joined fellow pupils from Felixstowe School for the "try a train" session run by Suffolk County Council (SCC).

"It's my first time on a train, and I felt a bit nervous, but I'm OK with it now - it's a lot calmer and nicer [than expected]," he said.

Speaking about why the scheme was run, travel trainer Sadie Reeve said: "A lot of children post-16 have been reliant on mums, dads and taxis, and going to college is a huge step for them.

"Some have quite a journey to make. Apart from starting college, it's really daunting to have to access transport for the first time."

The scheme, which particularly targets children with additional needs, also aims to reduce council spending. Anyone who completes the full training is no longer eligible for council-funded taxi journeys.

School transport currently costs SCC about £60m per year, of which £44m is for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

"I'm feeling like it's a bit safer than being in a car, and it's a lot faster," he added.

"It's meant a lot to me, because I've gained a bit more independence. I'm always very cautious when it comes to new things."

Like Michael, Cameron is in Year 11 and hopes to go to college next year.

The last time he took the train was with his mum for his 11th birthday.

"Travelling by myself, that's not something I've ever done. I'd definitely worry about that," he admitted.

"I feel like I'd probably get quite confused - I mean, if I get the wrong track, I'm in a different part of England."

Cameron also wanted to know "how to identify staff on the trains" and was worried about encountering "dodgy people".

He said the session had helped him to "get a better feel for things".

"The biggest help would be working the ticket machines, but I doubt I'll remember it," he said.

He said travelling independently was "important, because my parents can't take me everywhere, so I have to learn to be by myself a bit".

Special Needs administrator at Felixstowe School, Sharon Roper, said the pupils were "buzzing" after the trip on Monday.

"One pupil was already planning to use the train this week," she said.

"Ultimately, these are life skills that they'll carry with them forever, and they will teach others - they're talking to each other and learning from each other."

She added: "It's been a really useful, fruitful event for us, and we'll hopefully do it again next year."

Reeve, who also helps people with train journeys in Essex, said 1,000 children have now received the training in Suffolk since the scheme launched in 2015.

"[For] those who can't use public transport independently, we show them what to do from the minute they leave the house until they've got to their destination," she explained.

"We teach them stranger danger, what to do in an emergency, how to purchase tickets, what to do when things go wrong, the whole caboodle."

She said students were given an emergency card with information, which they could also show to a trusted adult.

"The most rewarding part is when you sign somebody off as an independent traveller, then you see them at a later date in a place where you haven't trained them.

"They've had the independence to go there on their own and be with their mates and it's just heartwarming," Reeve said.

SCC paid for the scheme, and a spokesperson said that on completion, young people were "given a bus or train pass to continue being independent".

"The travel training programme is available to children and young people who are referred for assessment, and each referral is considered individually to determine whether travel training is appropriate for their circumstances," they added.

When asked if some children were being pressured to take the course so their school transport could be taken away and not paid for, the authority stated that "No-one is pressured".

"It has to be the right time for the young person, and not all young people will be suitable... Becoming independent is a key theme that young people tell SCC that they want to achieve," the spokesperson said.

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