Community rail is all about engaging local communities. This category is no longer just about one-off community rail events, it is also about long-term engagement within communities. It aims to highlight the creativity and hard work that goes into developing, organising and promoting community engagement projects on and linked to the railway. 

Entries invited from:

We invite entries from community rail partnerships, station adoption or friends’ groups, or other community groups and representatives. Rail industry partners can submit entries where a project was undertaken in partnership with a community rail partnership or community group, but the entry must clearly demonstrate this partnership working, be agreed with the community partner(s), and their contact details provided.

Judging criteria: 

• Successful engagement in person or online across the community or target audience – successful efforts were made to engage people inclusively, or among a clear target audience; 
• Engaging, enjoyable and beneficial – there is evidence it was well-received and those involved saw benefits to mobility, inclusion, health, wellbeing or awareness;  
• Empowering and awareness raising – it successfully shared knowledge, opportunities, confidence and/or awareness, for example about rail travel, local history, culture, or environment;
• Interactive and drew on community viewpoints – the project enabled interaction with and between the community, such as drawing on and sharing local perspectives, memories and ideas.