This category recognises the work of community rail or other community organisations to revitalise railway buildings and larger areas of railway land. Any space which has either been brought back to useful life or significantly improved is eligible. We are looking for initiatives that have enhanced, rejuvenated, or repurposed a railway space and brought it back into the heart of the community, to provide new value for passengers and/or wider communities.

This is not a heritage restoration award - many projects may involve restoration work to improve the appearance and celebrate the heritage of spaces, but many revitalisations are in non-heritage locations or are land re-use projects. Judges are looking for projects that have engaged the local community effectively, demonstrated social value, and have sound plans for how the space will deliver ongoing community benefits.

Note: This award is not primarily concerned with attracting new passengers to the railway, rather its focus is in making use of disused railway assets for wider community benefit. Small gardens and flowerbeds won’t be considered in this category, these should be submitted within an entry to ‘It’s Your Station’ or ‘Small Projects Award’. Similarly any art/creative projects should be submitted in the ‘Community Creative Projects & Station Arts’ category.

Any current (paid/subscribed) Community Rail Network member, which may be a community rail partnership (CRP), station adoption / friends’ group or a community station group.

Non-member community groups, or rail industry partners can also submit entries, but only where a project was undertaken in partnership with a Community Rail Network member CRP or station group. The entry must clearly demonstrate this partnership working, showing how the project has fulfilled the judging criteria below. The entry must also be approved by the member group as the primary entry for the joint project and the group’s contact details must be provided. Note: This award is for organisations which have leased/licensed/purchased railway buildings or land to deliver their community project, with a legal right of occupation/access.

Essential requirements: Before and after images or other evidence clearly showing the change(s) made must be submitted as part of your supporting evidence, along with any other evidence showing how the project was developed and delivered. Details of the ongoing use for the building/land must be included.

• Clearly demonstrate, through evidence, the impact of the project - How did it contribute to creating social value? How did it strengthen the community? How did it improve inclusion and accessibility?
• Repurposing a railway space – we can see how station building(s), platforms, shelters, facilities, or railway land have been rejuvenated or repurposed, in whole or in part, to provide community benefit;
• Sensitive approach to rejuvenation/refurbishment – sympathetic to station heritage if appropriate, or to the
  new community use where non-heritage assets have been developed;
• Clear benefits to users – evidence the project has benefited and is appreciated by its target audience;
• Building positive links with the community – the space has been brought more into the heart of the community and delivers benefits to local people e.g. through local volunteering, community events, communications, outreach, and/or new people using station buildings;
• Great partnership working – we can see how collaboration with the rail industry and others has helped to deliver improvements and overcome challenges, or bring in wider expertise, involvement and ideas;
• A well-considered plan for how the space is intended to deliver ongoing social benefits.

'Most Enhanced Railway Spaces' is sponsored by Greater Anglia.

2026 1st Place Winner - Friends of Birkdale Station for ‘Birkdale Station Masters House Community Hub and Library’

When the council-run library closed in 2013, the group of volunteers that formed the Friends of Birkdale Station recognised the need locally for a similar community space. The disused Station Master’s House attached to Birkdale Station was identified as the perfect place, and alongside Merseyrail, the volunteers began work to bring the building back into community use.

After grants and fundraising were acquired by late 2019, the new library building was opened in mid-2021. The station’s heritage roots are reflected in the renovation design, and the building’s location in the centre of Birkdale Village has established it as a vibrant and welcoming focal point at the heart of the community.

The Friends of Birkdale Station now comprises of over 60 volunteers, and the group are responsible for all aspects of running the library, which contains over 5,000 books. This includes communications and social media, maintaining the three meeting rooms (one of which houses a free-to-use computer suite), and running the full programme of events and workshops, including yoga classes, music tuition, ‘knit and natter’ sessions and children’s story time clubs to name a few.

The volunteers recognise the importance of continuing to develop the community hub. All money raised or received is invested right back into the project, to continue to develop the building and its offer.

Thanks to the Friends of Birkdale Station, what was once a neglected railway building has been transformed into a thriving community hub, and a space which fosters lifelong learning, volunteering opportunities and, above all, community connection.

2025 1st Place Winner - Severnside CRP for 'Mike Hodge Community Room at Bridgwater Station'

Bridgwater Station is a beautiful Grade II listed building which had redundant and boarded-up rooms calling out for regeneration. Severnside CRP had a vision of breathing new life into the station, creating a warm, inviting and accessible space whether people in the community could gather, hold meetings and host small-scale events.

After conducting building surveys, gathering feedback from the community and securing funding from Great Western Railway, Railway Heritage Trust and Somerset Community Foundation, local contractors were appointed to undertake the renovations, including fitting bespoke doors and shutters sympathetic to the heritage of the station. The room was then equipped with furniture, Wi-Fi, video conferencing facilities and community artwork.

The Mike Hodge Community Room, named after a dedicated station volunteer (who is still going strong in his nineties!), was officially opened during Community Rail Week in May 2024. The space has already been used by local groups for meetings and events, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback and repeat bookings. Upcoming uses include NHS vaccination clinics and a Crimestoppers drama project for vulnerable youth. Severnside CRP envisions further regeneration of Bridgwater Station, including the potential reopening of a café as a social enterprise, and strengthening ties with the local college.

Check out previous 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of this category from 2017-2022.

Entries for our 2027 Awards open at 9am on Tuesday 1 September and close at 5pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

Check back then to submit your entry!