Hello everyone. We hope, as always, that this bulletin finds you well.
Spending Review
Earlier today, the Chancellor delivered the UK Government’s Spending Review, setting budgets and priorities for its departments up to 2028/29. There were several announcements regarding investment for rail, buses and transport decarbonisation, as well as funding for city regions. Read the full spending review here, and read our summary of key points relating to rail and transport here.
Funding and training bursaries
We are pleased to announce that the Department for Transport’s Community Rail Development Fund (CRDF) for accredited community rail partnerships in England and Wales and Small Grants Fund for England (SGF) are now open for applications. Further details and application forms for both funds are here. For CRDF projects, please liaise with your support and development team contact to discuss your plans before applying.
Our training and development bursary is also now open for applications from Community Rail Network members in England and Wales. The bursary supports the funding of a course or conference place up to the value of £200 that will boost skills and knowledge and empower you in your role within your CRP or station group. Further details and the application form can be found here.
Community Rail Week feedback
Thank you to everyone who’s shared feedback on our recent Community Rail Week campaign. Your input is incredibly valuable in helping us ensure Community Rail Week continues to be meaningful, impactful and relevant to members, partners and the public. Your feedback will help directly shape and improve future campaigns, so we’d love to hear from you. Please do complete the short, 6-question survey by 5pm on Monday 16 June.
Community Rail Conference 2025
Our annual Community Rail Conference, hosted in partnership with the Department for Transport, is scheduled to take place in Nottingham on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 October. Please note this event is specifically for community rail partnerships and rail industry partners. Invitations and booking details will be sent directly to eligible colleagues. In the meantime, please save the dates in your diaries and we will share further details in due course.
Upcoming webinar
We have an online session coming up for members, aimed at both community rail partnerships and station groups. ‘Tackling anti-social behaviour’ will be held on Wednesday 16 July, 10-11.45am, and will take an in-depth look at how members can work together with their train operators, local communities and other partners to develop engaging projects addressing anti-social behaviour at stations. View the outline agenda and book your place here.
Send your stories to news@communityrail.org.uk and see our guidance on submitting stories.
Your next bulletin is on 25 June. Keep up-to-date in between on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky and X.
Best wishes,
Jeremy and Bill
- Railway 200 confirms first six months of route for special Exhibition Train
- Join Good Journey webinar to look at ways to boost car-free leisure travel
- Rail safety campaign encourages community rail groups to get involved
- Sustrans report explores how active travel can facilitate Community Wealth Building
- Campaign for Better Transport outlines rail’s potential as catalyst for growth
- Transport for the North conducts research on perceptions of station accessibility
- Explore Forest of Bowland by rail and bus with new sustainable tourism initiatives
- Southeast Communities Rail Partnership recognised nationally for education work
- Dog ‘train’ing with a difference as pets try the train along the Felixstowe Line
- Gordon Hill and Enfield Chase station volunteers launch ‘All Aboard for Ale!’ trail
- 3 Counties Connected CRP works with young artists to showcase Railway 200
- Network Rail volunteers lend a helping hand with projects at Lowestoft Station
- Poetry exhibition encourages mindful moments at Reading Green Park Station
- Essex & South Suffolk CRP publishes booklet commemorating 200 years of rail
- Buxton primary school pupils paint pebbles to mark World Bee Day
- Southeast CRP report shows volunteers deliver social value worth £572k yearly
- Illustrated panels celebrate 200 years of local and rail history at Northwich Station
- Work of Bentham Line CRP profiled by national Alzheimer’s organisation
- CRPs in South East celebrate new Surrey Hills National Landscape rail-bus link
- Kent CRP delivers rail safety sessions for Year 3 pupils at Paddock Wood Station
Dawn Branton, Barton Cleethorpes CRP officer, said: “We were overwhelmed by the entries to the art competition and judging was extremely difficult. We have displayed all the entries we received on our website, and we hope that you love them all as much as we do!
“We’re also so pleased with our latest addition to this exciting project. The breathtaking mural at Great Coates has made an underwhelming corner of the station truly remarkable, and we have received many compliments from station users and local residents.”
