Community Rail News - 16 September 2026

Community Rail News – 16 September 2026

September 16, 2026

Hello everyone.

There’s plenty happening across community rail as we head into the autumn, and this bulletin is packed with opportunities, updates and some great examples of the difference you’re making in communities.

First up, we’re delighted to see the return of the World Cup of Stations, with this year’s competition shining a light on stations that connect people and places. Whether that’s bringing people together around gigs, sporting events and other social occasions, connecting communities with beaches, mountains and landscapes, or helping to create and strengthen communities around stations, it’s a brilliant opportunity to celebrate what makes our stations special. It also feels particularly timely as the industry looks ahead to a new era of Great British Railways, with connection and collaboration at its heart. Submit your nominations before midnight this Sunday (20 September).

If that’s got you thinking about the brilliant work happening on your own line, don’t forget there are now just two weeks left to submit your entries for the Community Rail Awards. We know there are some fantastic stories out there, so please don’t leave it until the last minute to tell us about them!

Finally, further down this bulletin you’ll find an important update on the Community Rail Partnership accreditation pilot. Following feedback from members, the Department for Transport has agreed to pilot a more flexible approach to the frequency of accreditation reviews. The information and evidence required won’t change, but depending on our assessment and scoring, some CRPs may move to a two-yearly review rather than renewing annually. We hope this will provide a more proportionate approach while maintaining the strong standards that underpin accreditation.

As ever, thank you for everything you’re doing to connect people, places and communities through the railway. We hope you enjoy this bulletin.

Best wishes
Bill and Jeremy

CRP accreditation frequency pilot to begin

Following feedback from members and our evaluation of how the assessment approach could be re-modelled, we are pleased to confirm that the Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to our proposal to pilot a change to the frequency of community rail partnership accreditation reviews for 12 months from September. The accreditation scheme applies in England and Wales. As part of the pilot, the element of the current Community Rail Accreditation Guidance that requires annual reaccreditation of all CRPs will be temporarily disapplied and replaced by the pilot approach described below. Under the pilot, a decision-making approach agreed with the DfT will determine whether individual CRPs will renew their accreditation annually or every two years. The option of a two-year renewal cycle reflects existing practice in Wales. This will be based on evidence and scoring against the existing DfT accreditation guidance, including the number of actions arising from a CRP accreditation, how it responds to any concerns raised, and the seriousness of any issues identified.

The information, evidence and regular monitoring required for accreditation will not change – only the frequency of the review may vary. If successful, the current accreditation guidance will be reviewed and updated by the DfT at the end of the pilot period to reflect this new approach. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your CRP’s accreditation further, please contact your usual regional support and development lead.

Annual membership survey

Our Board-led membership review is in full flow and promises to strengthen our approach to ensuring everything we do is driven by what members need to help them develop, grow and thrive.

Whilst this is ongoing, we have decided to pause our annual members survey this year. We’ll be looking to consult members about the review in the coming months, which would overlap significantly with the kinds of things we’d be asking in the annual survey. We’ll continue to evaluate individual activities with the people who have experienced them – whether that’s an event, webinar, training or something else – and use what we learn to shape future improvements and development.

So, for this year, there will be no big membership survey in its current format, but plenty of opportunities for members to tell us what they think across the year and a chance to feed into the review of our overall membership package.

Tracks & Trails campaign – 26 October to 8 November

Our walking, wheeling and cycling campaign returns this autumn, showcasing community-led initiatives that encourage sustainable travel by train. We are keen to highlight existing trails, accessible routes and active travel projects delivered or supported by community rail. If you would like your work to be featured and it is not already included in our campaign content, please share it with our team. To help you get involved, we’ve created a campaign toolkit with useful promotional resources.

The following training, networking and development sessions are online and members only unless stated otherwise.

‘On Track for inclusive train travel’: Thursday 17 September, 12-1pm. Join this webinar to hear about the key learnings from the ‘On Track’ project, as well as potential opportunities and next steps for community rail partnerships and groups interested in making rail travel more accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Open to all. Register here.
Co-production working day: Monday 21 September, 9:45am-3:30pm, Birmingham. This full-day session will share learning from the Travelling with Confidence programme, aiming to identify success factors, tips and practicalities, offer peer support, spark ideas and generate enthusiasm for the co-production approach across community rail. Register here.
Integrated Sustainable Transport discussion group: Thursday 1 October, 10:30am-12pm. Hear from Northern and Great Western Railway about their active travel work and integrated transport strategies. Open to all. Details here.
Volunteers, please! Growing your volunteer community: Monday 12 October, 2-4:20pm. This interactive session, aimed at station adoption groups, will explore why people volunteer, what gets in the way, and how to grow your volunteer community. Register here.

Your next bulletin is on 30 September. Keep up-to-date in between on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky and X. Send your stories to news@communityrail.org.uk.