Community rail partnerships and station volunteer groups from across the North of England have been recognised for their outstanding work at a major national awards ceremony.
Train operator Northern is celebrating a night of success after community rail groups from across the North of England picked up a series of honours at the 21st Community Rail Awards. The event, held in Derby and organised by the Community Rail Network, welcomed a record 610 guests and recognised the efforts of community rail partnerships and station volunteer groups from across Britain. More than 300 entries were judged, with projects from across Northern’s network featuring strongly among the winners.
Among the biggest successes of the evening was Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership, which shared the top prize — the Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail Award. The honour recognised almost 30 years of work to strengthen links between coastal communities and help more people feel confident travelling by train.
Community Rail Lancashire also enjoyed an impressive evening, taking home two awards. Its collaboration with Arts2Heal, The Clitheroe Line: A Picturesque Railway Journey, won the Community Creative Projects and Station Arts Award for large groups. The partnership also claimed the Influencing Positive Change and Sustainability Award, sponsored by Northern, for The English Queen, a project developed with Lancashire Archives celebrating the rich history of the region.
Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership was recognised in the medium groups category of the Railway 200 Legacy Award for A Song for Edmondson, a project celebrating the area’s railway heritage.
Station volunteer groups were also among those honoured. Friends of Hindley Station achieved Platinum in the prestigious It’s Your Station award, the highest level of recognition for station volunteer groups. Edale Station Friends received Silver in the same category, reflecting the dedication of volunteers in keeping the station a welcoming and well-maintained gateway to the Peak District.
Friends of Brighouse Station also won praise after taking first place in the Photo Competition with Brighouse Busy Lizzies, an image which captured the spirit of community rail.
Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern said:
“These awards are a fantastic recognition of the passion and dedication of the community rail partnerships and station volunteers who make such a difference to the communities we serve every day.
“From Clitheroe to the Yorkshire Coast, from the Hope Valley to Hindley, their work brings people closer to their railway and helps us grow passenger confidence right across the north.
“Community rail is central to our ambition to grow rail travel and deliver real benefits for the people and places of the North of England. We’re incredibly proud to support and work alongside so many brilliant groups, and these results show just how much they achieve.”
Northern said the awards highlighted the strength of community rail across the North and the important role played by partnerships and volunteers in supporting stations, encouraging rail travel and bringing communities together.
Northern is the UK’s second largest train operator, running nearly 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England. More than 100 million passenger journeys are made on its network each year and the company employs more than 7,000 people across the region.
The latest awards success is expected to provide another boost for the community rail movement, which continues to play a key role in improving stations, promoting local heritage and making rail travel more accessible and welcoming for passengers.
