Two new projects were celebrated at a special event at Crediton Station on Tuesday 19 August.
Both projects – the first focused on railway heritage, and the other on accessibility – were made possible thanks to Great Western Railway’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund and the Community Rail Development Fund.
The celebratory event started on Platform 2, where Crediton Mayor Steve Huxtable cut a ribbon to officially reopen the waiting room which now houses historic railway photographs and panels about the local rail network.
The displays have been put together by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership with the help of local enthusiasts and photographers such as David Gosling and Roger Joanes. Panels include the story of the famous Atlantic Coast Express, the 150th anniversary celebrations in 2001, the history of the Tarka Line, and the coming of the railway itself in 1851, illustrated with photographs supplied by the National Railway Museum.
The group then moved on to the Station Tea Rooms to celebrate the second project. The Turning Tides Project has leased Crediton Station Tea Rooms for the last six years, where the organisation has contributed to extensive refurbishment and work to make the space physically accessible for customers and employees.
The remaining barrier to equal access was relating to sound. With high ceilings, hard floors, kitchen equipment and, of course, passing trains, the space proved to be a challenging environment for people who are sensitive to sound. To combat this, the Turning Tides Project delivered a project that improved the acoustics of the building through a process of community and customer engagement. The finished design incorporates sound boards and community-created artwork and furniture to create a more accessible and visually pleasing environment.
Richard Burningham, manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, said: “This is a lovely project and thanks to everyone who has made it possible. I think the heritage displays are a very fitting local contribution to this year’s Railway 200 celebrations which mark 200 years of the modern railway.”
Emma Morris, Great Western Railway’s senior community engagement manager, said: “Our Customer & Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities in projects that really make a difference at a local level. We’re delighted to have supported these two initiatives at Crediton Station.”
Jane Williams, director of the Turning Tides Project, said: “Sound sensitivity is rarely on the list when ‘access’ is considered. The opportunity to change that was important to us. The completed design has made a striking difference to the Tea Rooms acoustics – we’re really pleased with it. The visual impact of the design means that people ask about it – and that creates the opportunity for us to talk about sound sensitivity and equal access.
“We hugely value our ongoing relationships with Great Western Railway, Community Rail Network and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, and the enthusiasm with which they support what we do.”
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership via their website.
