Students from Kent’s Strood Academy have helped to design a brand new mural for Strood Station subway. Kent street artist Graham Upton worked with the students to come up with ideas to inspire the work. Completed last week, the colourful mural celebrates the town of Strood, welcoming visitors as they walk between the station and the town
With funding from Govia Thameslink Railway and support from Southeastern Railway who operate the station, Kent Community Rail Partnership invited Strood Academy to involve the students in creating the artwork.
One teacher said, “I have always lived in Strood so it is great to have some artwork that shows off how great the place is, we have such a rich history and we are excited to have a statement artwork that showcases this.”
Students added, “I feel proud to have added to the design and feel excited to see what the finished work looks like” and “It was really fun and we got to meet an artist.”
Kent Community Rail Partnership, hosted by Sustrans, operates on three rail lines; Medway Valley Line, Kent Downs Line and Swale Rail Line. Its core aims are to promote local rail lines in rural Kent and Medway for the social, economic and environmental benefit of residents and visitors, and to support the social well-being of the communities served by those rail lines.
Gary Outram, Sustrans project officer for Kent Community Rail Partnership said; “We’re really pleased to be able to provide an opportunity for the students of Strood Academy to be a part of this exciting project. Their brilliant contribution is reflected in the vibrant mural. It shows Strood’s past and present, and depicts places in Medway, Kent and beyond that you can visit from Strood station when you take days out by rail.”
“We would like to express our thanks to Govia Thameslink Railway for funding the project, Southeastern for their ongoing support of our work, and to Graham Upton and the students who were involved in creating the mural. Strood Academy can be proud of the contribution their students have made to the local community.”
Tom Moran, managing director for Thameslink and Great Northern, said : “As part of a network-wide, multimillion-pound programme of improvements we’ve commissioned over 200 works by local artists to make stations more attractive for our passengers, and more valuable assets for the communities we serve. This bright, lively new mural does just that. We’re very grateful to the talented Academy students, and the other partners we’ve enjoyed working with here, who have all done Strood proud.”
Come along, take a look at the mural and find some inspiration for your own days out by rail.
