Community Rail News – 18 October 2023
Hello everyone. We hope this newsletter finds you all well. As we went to press in our last newsletter, the PM had just announced the cancellation of HS2 to the North and the creation of Network North. Much has been written about the announcements since, and you can read our summary here of the policy […]
Volunteers’ team effort boosts biodiversity at Rochford Station
Rail industry and community rail volunteers have spent a team-building day transforming overgrown areas at Rochford Station. Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership (CRP) enlisted the help of staff from Rail Delivery Group (RDG) to help Rochford’s team of station adopters create a new cottage garden area and install a bug hotel, funded by […]
Audio drama accompanies walks from stations along the West Highland Line
West Highland Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has launched a series of walks from stations based on an audio play. ‘Benighted on the Moor’ is an audio drama that tells the true story of seven Victorian men who traversed Rannoch Moor in January 1889 on an intrepid attempt to map the route for the now famous […]
Hounslow to Richmond Line now hosted by Southeast Communities Rail Partnership
Southeast Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP) has added the Hounslow to Richmond Line to its portfolio. The SCRP team recently met with newly appointed line officer Michael Olden and the Partnership’s steering group to discuss the top priorities, and ideas for new projects are already underway. These include reaching out to local groups to invite them […]
Kent students enjoy first station adoption day
Students from Grow 19, a small college for learners aged 19-25 with special educational needs, have enjoyed their first day as the new adopters of West Malling Station. On Wednesday 20 September, the Grow 19 students and three of their tutors arrived for their first day of station adoption at West Malling Station, on the […]
Friends of Buxton Station launch innovative e-bike hire scheme
Thanks to a new partnership, people arriving in Buxton by train will have the choice of hiring an electric bike at special lower rates to allow them to explore further afield in the local area. The innovative new scheme was created by the Friends of Buxton Station, who are working in partnership with Northern, Peak […]
‘Suzy the Sheep’ project promotes safety on the Bentham Line for over five years
The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has worked with local primary school pupils to help promote rail safety messages in the fifth year of the ‘Suzy the Sheep’ artwork project. The character of ‘Suzy’ originated from an illustrated guide to rail safety produced by the Leeds-Morecambe CRP in 2017, and since then the project has […]
Songs, poems and films kick off countdown to railway bicentenary
New songs, poems, and films by artists from the North East have been launched to mark the two-year countdown to the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The performance, titled ‘Storylines Live’, took place on Wednesday 27 September at The Forum Music Centre in Darlington, featuring brand new material from Storylines, an artist-in-residence programme […]
From railway history to a greener future: pupils go ‘full steam ahead’ with CRL
Community Rail Lancashire has worked with local secondary school pupils to create a new piece of artwork celebrating sustainable travel at Accrington Station. The new artwork, undertaken by pupils of The Hollins under the artistic and research guidance of community artist Karen Allerton, was unveiled at Accrington Station on Wednesday 27 September. The artwork […]
Guided walks and active travel map celebrates Gloucestershire’s Black History
Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has launched a Celebratory Black History Map to promote cultural understanding and active lifestyles in Gloucestershire. The map has been created by the team at Black Ark Media, an organisation dedicated to educating people about Black History, and aims to deepen the understanding of both ‘British’ and ‘Black British’ history. […]