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Community Rail News – 15 April 2026

Hello everyone.

Last week we were delighted to host a visit from Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to Altrincham Interchange, on the day the government’s new ‘Better Connected’ transport strategy was launched. Bringing national policy and local practice into discussion, we underlined the vital role community rail plays in creating a more joined-up, inclusive transport network.

The strength of local delivery shone through. Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership and the Friends of Altrincham Interchange are doing exceptional work – connecting people, improving access, and ensuring stations and services reflect the needs of their communities. It’s that local knowledge and commitment that gives community rail its unique value.

Moments like this are exactly why we’re continuing to prioritise our public affairs work. By creating opportunities to bring decision-makers closer to community rail in action, we can better demonstrate members’ impact, influence policy, and ensure community rail is recognised as a key delivery partner by national and regional authorities.

We’ve also produced a summary of the ‘Better Connected’ strategy for members and partners, highlighting what it means for community rail and where there are opportunities.

Alongside this, we’re pleased to share that Community Rail Network’s new five-year strategy has been approved by our Board and is being put into practice.

This strategy sets a clear direction, building on the strengths of our movement while responding to an evolving landscape. Our focus is on deepening community engagement, strengthening partnerships across rail, transport and the community sector, improving how we evidence impact, and ensuring community rail’s long-term sustainability.

To bring our strategy to life, we’re placing renewed emphasis on cross-team working, bringing together expertise across policy, communications, events, training and member support to provide a more cohesive and effective offer. We’ll continue to work closely with members and partners to ensure our approach is grounded in your experience and supports the work happening in communities every day.

You’ll begin to see this reflected more in the coming year, in how we advocate for community rail, the opportunities we create, and the support we provide.

Best wishes,
Jeremy and Jools

Community Rail Week (1-7 June) – how to get involved

Celebrating connections, inclusion and the journeys that bring people together is at the heart of this year’s Community Rail Week theme, ‘Journeys for All’. Whether you’re a member group, partner or supporter, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Discover inspiration and ideas here and contact Alice to discuss further.

Upcoming sessions

We have several online webinars, training and networking sessions over the next few months, covering transport connectivity, social media, project management, impact, and placemaking for safety. Visit our online calendar for details of all sessions and registration links.

New corporate donor

We’re delighted to welcome Morgan Sindall Infrastructure as our latest corporate donor. Learn more about their organisation and how they’ll be working with community rail here.

Your next bulletin is on 29 April. Keep up-to-date in between on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky and X.

Send your stories to our news@communityrail.org.uk and see our guidance on submitting stories.

West Highland CRP and the Friends of the West Highland Lines are delighted to welcome a special addition to Mallaig Station. A prestigious Red Wheel, created by the National Transport Trust (NTT) to recognise sites of historical importance to transport heritage in the UK, has been unveiled, designating the West Highland Extension Railway from Fort William to Mallaig as a site of significant transport heritage.

Unveiling the Red Wheel at Mallaig on 1 April (the railway’s 125th anniversary), the President of the NTT, Lady Judy McAlpine, paid tribute to the work of contractors Robert McAlpine, which opened up this remote part of the Highlands to economic development. Mallaig Harbour would go on to become one of Europe’s busiest fishing ports, while Glenfinnan Viaduct is now synonymous with the magical world of Harry Potter.
Members have been busy getting their local communities into the spirit of spring with a series of Easter-themed activities. The Easter Bunny was aboard a special Essex & South Suffolk CRP train (left), where families were entertained by a Mad Hatter magician, engaged in creative competitions, and went on to take part in the Colchester Bunny Trail.

On the Yorkshire Coast CRP special train (right), the Easter Bunny handed out chocolate eggs and activity sheets jam-packed with puzzles based on the scenic line, including I-Spy and ‘design your own station’. For the first time, the Easter Train included Brough, Ferriby and Hessle stations in the celebrations, and by the time the train from Hull reached Scarborough, it was packed full of families travelling to the seaside. Passengers even got to say hello to ‘Stormy Stan’, the RNLI mascot who had joined TransPennine Express for a rail and water safety educational event.