The big day has finally arrived!

It’s the start of Community Rail Week 2025, and we’re so excited to be launching our fifth and biggest campaign yet.

Throughout this week (19-25 May), there will be over 120 community-led events, activities and promotions dedicated to celebrating all things Railway 200 taking place across the length and breadth of Britain – a record-breaking number!

The activities inspired by the four key Railway 200 themes – whether its leading ‘try the train’ trips, delivering cultural and arts projects at stations, providing opportunities for connection through volunteering or showcasing walking and cycling routes from the railway – all shine a spotlight on how our incredible grassroots movement works to ensure that railways remain accessible, sustainable and integral to everyday life.

As interim chief executive, I can’t tell you how pleased I was when I learnt that this campaign would fall during the months I’m with the organisation. I know Community Rail Week is one of the highlights of the year, and I can’t wait to join the nation in celebrating the innovative community rail projects that go beyond the tracks and trains and right into the heart of communities.

To kick off the campaign, we’ll be joining members, partners and supporters at Haltwhistle Station in the North East of England, where 200 years ago the foundations of the modern passenger railway were established. We’ll be celebrating the monumental achievements, not shaped in stone or steel, but borne from the raw materials of community, collaboration and connection, that transform into the inspiring initiatives we see across Britain today.

With so many demands and things that compete for your attention, we truly appreciate the effort and energy community rail partnerships and station volunteer groups give to engaging with this campaign. A big thank you to our campaign sponsors Rail Delivery Group and to our partners who support, amplify and champion our messages. We hope you’ll hop on board this week (and beyond!), joining us in celebrating the wonderful world of community rail. Any way you can engage with, support and learn from us, our members and our partners will go a long way in empowering and raising the profile of our flourishing grassroots movement.  

Join the conversation online using #CommunityRailWeek, share our messages with your friends and followers and let us know if you’re getting involved this week, or you’d like to explore how you can work with community rail into the future.