Community Rail Network is excited to announce the shortlisted entries for the 2024 Community Rail Awards.

The awards, now in their 19^th year, recognise the important work carried out by those in community rail, often volunteers, who work across Britain’s rail network to make stations welcoming spaces for passengers and visitors alike. Alongside this, many of the groups carry out vital community engagement work with schools, colleges, and other local groups to help educate and secure passengers of the future, which is critical to ensuring our railways are an inclusive, sustainable, healthy way to travel.

The winners will be announced at a high-profile awards ceremony in Swansea on Monday, 18 March 2024. The event is being jointly sponsored by Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales.

Today (13 December) also sees the launch of the ever-popular Community Rail Photography Competition, where people can vote for their favourite photo that captures the essence of community rail. Head over to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CRA2024 to cast your vote!

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “Our Community Rail Awards showcase the amazing projects, initiatives, and people across Britain that make community rail. This year we’ve received 200 submissions and as always, the standard of entries has been extremely high. We’re looking forward to joining our community rail colleagues and industry partners to celebrate their hard work, positivity, and dedication at our awards evening in March.”

The Community Rail Awards 2024 shortlist

Involving Children and Young People – sponsored by LNER

• Worcestershire CRP/ Platform – Interchange
• Bishop Line Rail Safety Event Planning Group – Bishop Line Rail Safety Event
• Heart of England CRP and Finham Park 2 – Rail Week
• Community Rail Lancashire – Feel Good Field Trips
• Platform; A Joint Community Rail Education Programme – Christmas at the Loco Klub
• Conwy Valley & North West Wales Coast CRP – Conwy Station Artwork
• Robin Hood Line CRP – Children and Young peoples, Rail Safety Awareness/Active Travel
• Friends of Flimby Station and the Cumbrian Coast Line CRP – Flimby – Throughout the Years

Empowering Diverse Groups – sponsored by East Midlands Railway

• Platform: A Joint Community Rail Education Programme – This Mighty Traveller
• Heart of England CRP and Highly Sprung – A Day Like This
• Community Rail Lancashire – East Meets West
• Severnside CRP – Days Out by Train
• South East Lancashire CRP – Stations of Sanctuary
• Friends of Buxton Station – Welcoming Our Ukrainian Settlers With Respect and Sensitivity
• Rail74 CRP, 6VT CRP and Chatty Crafters – United in Learning
• Furness Line and Lakes Line CRPs – Mindful Days Out

Community Creative Projects and Station Arts – sponsored by Avanti West Coast

Shortlisted by group size:

Large and medium groups

• Severnside CRP – Pioneers of the Railways
• Darent Valley CRP/Sevenoaks Camera Club – New Views of the Darent Valley
• Severnside CRP – Hidden Station
• East Suffolk Lines CRP and Suffolk New College – Ipswich Station Footbridge Artwork
• Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton CRP – Meldreth Wonderpass
• Leeds-Morecambe CRP and Project Partners – ‘Rail and Sail’ – Heysham Port Developments
• New River Line CRP – Art & Literature in the Waiting Room
• East Lothian CRP – Prestonpans Station Mural Project
• Arun Valley Line CRP – Chichester Commemorates Trevor Tupper

Small groups

• Woodsmoor Station Friends – Woodsmoor Station Art Project
• Nick Mair and Tony Coleman – Denmark Hill Station Art Trail
• Friends of Buxton Station – Arnemetia – Buxton’s Healing Water Goddess Welcomes You!
• Helmsdale Station CIC – Duke of Sutherland’s Railway 150th Anniversary Event
• Friends of Buxton Station – Turning Trashed Poppies into Respectful Commemorative Art

Small Projects Award (£500 or less) – sponsored by Community Rail Lancashire

• The Friends of Romiley Station – Romiley Station Sign Highlighting Sensory Diversity
• The Maryporters Station Adoption Group and Cumbrian Coast Line CRP – All Aboard the Train Planter
• North Staffordshire CRP – Bee Friendly Cub Scouts at Tutbury and Hatton Station
• Reading to Basingstoke CRP – Reading and Petersfield Station Winter Warmers
• Friends of Glazebrook Station – Liverpool Platform Planters
• Friends of Patricroft Station – It’s Faster by Train
• Friends of Glenfinnan Station Museum – Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Most Effective Communications Campaign – sponsored by West Midlands Trains

• Southeast Communities Rail Partnership – Community Rail Coronation Connections
• Community Rail Education Network & Bessie Matthews – Arlo’s Adventures: There and Back
• Wherry Lines CRP & Our Hire Ltd – Wherry 100 Summer Bus Service
• Leeds-Morecambe CRP and Northern’s Year-in-Industry Students 2022-23 – ‘Destination Wellbeing’
• Gloucestershire CRP – The Slimbridge Shuttle

Best Community Engagement Project – sponsored by SLC Rail and SLC Property

• Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and Mayes Creative – Destination Dartmoor Project
• Severnside CRP, GWR REACH and Network Rail Cultural Fusion – Carnival Train
• South East Manchester CRP and Brinnington Station Adopters – Brinnington Community Engagement
• Isle of Wight CRP – Dinosaur Day
• Wherry Lines CRP, Lowestoft Central Project & Network Rail Anglia – Somerleyton Swing Bridge Tours
• Friends of Glazebrook Station – 150th Anniversary of the Opening of Glazebrook Station
• CRPs in the East Midlands, East Midlands Railway and The Veterans Charity – Routes of Remembrance
• Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership – Pause, Cycle, Knit, Talk

Tourism & Leisure Award – sponsored by Scenic Rail Britain

• Southeast Lancashire CRP – RHS Bus
• Severnside CRP – Unicorn Trail
• Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership – ‘Bus Branch Line’ Videos
• Clitheroe Line and East Lancashire Line CRP and Clitheroe Castle – By Train to Clitheroe Castle
• Justyna Majer/Arron Johnson – Creswell Crags Rail Discovery Trail
• The Calder Valley Line CRP – Discover, Explore, Relax in the Calder Valley
• Derwent Valley Line CRP and Heights of Abraham – Mrs Brassington’s Big Day Out
• Cambrian Railway Partnership – Cambrian Railway Partnership Inclusive Bi-lingual Window Seater Project

Photo Competition: Capturing the essence of community rail – sponsored by Porterbrook

• Beds & Herts CRP – A First-Class Entry in the Backtrack Competition
• Gerald Townson –  All Friends Together
• Kettering Station Adopters – Dog Friendly Railways
• The New River Line CRP – The ‘Always Bee You’ Group on a Trip – ‘Smile For The Camera’
• Friends of Buxton Station – The On-Train Buffet’s Not What It Used To Be
• Marston Vale CRP – Budding Bee Enthusiasts at Woburn Sands Station
• Platform – The Happy Carriage
• Friends of Goostrey Station – Beavers Doing Their Best
• Friends of Reddish South Station – Tai Chi Evening on the Station Platform
• Gerald Townson – 5✼Plus – Luxury Hotel Open Soon
• Friends of Buxton Station – No, This Isn’t The 8:20 From Manchester Piccadilly!

Influencing Positive Change & Sustainability – sponsored by RSSB

• Rail 74 CRP – Inclusivity Matters
• Platform: A Joint Community Rail Education Programme – Reach Me By Rail
• Community Rail Lancashire – Try The Train
• Community Rail Education Network & Cross Country – Travel Green with Daffnee Green
• Conwy Valley and North West Wales Coast CRP – Confidence to Travel Videos
• Hereward CRP, Aether and Greater Anglia – Think Travel Tool
• Gloucestershire CRP – Connecting New Communities
• Friends of Buxton Station – Rewilding Hogshaw Sidings, Buxton

Most Enhanced Railway Spaces – sponsored by Greater Anglia

• Hollingbourne Parish Council, Kent CRP and Southeastern – The Station at Hollingbourne
• Darent Valley CRP – Eynsford Station
• Friends of Guide Bridge Station – Memorial Garden Project
• Bricket Wood Station Heritage Trust – Restoration of Bricket Wood Station
• Essex and South Suffolk CRP – Wrabness Wildlife Wonderland
• Friends of Bishopstone Station and Southeast Communities CRP – Bishopstone Community Hub

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution – sponsored by Eversholt Rail

• Val Hart – Petersfield Free Shop
• Barrie Russell – South Fylde Line CRP
• Barbara Mine – Bishopstone Community Hub

It’s Your Station – sponsored by Merseyrail

Shortlisted by branding:

Bronze

• Longton Station Adopters
• Keynsham In Bloom
• Bat & Ball Station Volunteers

Silver

• Whyteleafe Community Hub
• Otford Station
• Friends of Droitwich Spa Railway Station
• Grow Feral at Weston-super-Mare Station
• Tarka Rail Association and Barnstaple in Bloom
• The Friends of Gordon Hill Station
• Friends of Bishopstone Station
• Evesham Station Garden Project
• Friends of Reddish South Station
• Friends of Cark Station
• Boston Station Adopters
• Great Coates in Bloom
• Stone Station Adopters
• Friends of Kidsgrove Station Gardens
• Tutbury and Hatton Station Adopters
• Blythe Bridge Station Adopters
• Coöperatie Stationspark Deurne

Gold

• Friends of Brighouse Station
• The Friends of Bentham Station (FOBS)
• Friends of Angmering Station
• Friends of Kents Bank Station & Foreshore

Platinum

• Friends of Buxton Station
• Lowestoft Central Project
• Friends of Glossop Station
• Friends of Hindley Station
• Friends of Goostrey Station