Marks Tey Station in Essex has been adorned with a bit of ‘mural magic’ thanks to the efforts of a group of local art students.

The A-Level artists from Colchester Sixth Form designed a huge, colourful steam train surrounded by countryside with the Greater Anglia hare emblem in the foreground, to decorate one of the station’s six arches.

The students – Danielle Beckett-Martin, Isobel Howlett, Charles Hughes, Ingrid Kapovic, Genesis Smith, Ellie Tyler and Mae Warner – dreamt up the design themselves, choosing to focus on a steam train to reflect the era in which the station was built.

The train is depicted moving through the Essex countryside surrounded by plants and wildlife that can be found locally. Red kites – now back in Essex after being on the brink of extinction – are flying in the sky, and the Grade I-listed St Andrews Parish Church features in the background.

The project was funded and facilitated by the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership (ESSCRP), which hopes to fill the remaining arches with more artwork in time.

June Povey of ESSCRP said: “The mural looks fantastic, and I would like to thank the college and the students for getting involved and producing such a high-quality piece to adorn the station walls. I’m delighted that through this project, we are able to highlight the students’ talents to a wider audience, as well as improving the appearance of the station.”

Bel Hathaway, subject leader of photography and arts committee coordinator at Colchester Sixth Form College, said: “It was a great opportunity for our students to work together on a project outside of their A-Level courses. Together they came up with a design for the mural and during lunchtimes and breaks they got together to work on drawing out and painting. Many hours went into the production of the large-scale work; we are extremely impressed with the result.”

Greater Anglia’s customer and community engagement manager, Alan Neville, added: “This is a great example of the community coming together to improve a public area and, thanks to the talented art students, the result is excellent. I’m sure it will add to a sense of pride in the area, and that passengers will enjoy seeing it as they pass through the station.”

Read more about Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership’s work on their website here.