Grassroots movement celebrates vital role of South East railways in bringing communities together

Merriman, who is MP for Bexhill and Battle, will meet representatives from Hampshire, Purbeck, and Southeast Communities Community Rail Partnerships, who will highlight their work in making rail more accessible and inclusive to groups facing barriers to travel, projects bringing station buildings back to life, and initiatives promoting sustainable tourism by rail.

The joint promotional display at Waterloo is one of many activities taking place in the South East and across Britain during Community Rail Week, which runs from May 22 to 28, including youth engagement initiatives, projects facilitating inclusive rail travel, guided walks and station tours, and campaigns promoting scenic and sustainable leisure travel, all aiming to connect and empower communities, break down travel barriers, and encourage a greener, healthier transport future.

Community Rail Week, organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by Rail Delivery Group, shines a light on the year-round work of Britain’s 76 community rail partnerships, which cover 34% of Britain’s railway network, and 1,200 station friends groups made up of more than 10,000 volunteers, who tend to about half (47%) of Britain’s 2,570 stations. This includes 13 community rail partnerships and more than 200 station groups covering routes across the South East.

Community rail aims to improve travel confidence, increase access to opportunity, tackle social isolation, give communities a voice, and put railways and stations at the heart of community life, while supporting a shift to sustainable, more social forms of travel, including rail.

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “Community rail partnerships and thousands of ‘station friends’ volunteers the length and breadth of Britain, including many across the South East, are mobilising en masse, engaging local people and partners to raise awareness about rail travel, and get people enthused about its many benefits.”

Other activities in the South East include:

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership leading a try the train trip with the Friary Gardeners autistic adults’ group. They will travel from Ore to Robertsbridge Station in East Sussex, where they will adorn the station with plants and flowers grown in their own nursery;

On the 1066 Line serving Hastings, Southeast Communities Rail Partnership will mark the installation of a new map at Crowhurst Station by leading a walk and train trip from Crowhurst to Battle Station.

Five South East stations being shortlisted in the ‘World Cup of Stations’, organised by Rail Delivery Group, which this year is celebrating the roles stations play within local communities.

Ms Townsend added: “Community Rail Week is all about connecting communities and bringing people together, while supporting and enabling more people to travel sustainably by train and access the opportunities they want. Community rail has an inspiring track record of doing just that: promoting travel confidence and broadening mobility horizons, sometimes with life-changing effects, while giving communities a voice on transport, and putting railways and stations at the heart of community life.”

Nationwide events for the week include: the national launch at Tolworth Station in London to highlight the work of Britain’s newest community rail partnership, Community Train CRP; an interactive day of STEM activities for young people at Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-to-Carlisle Line; a Scottish parliamentary reception at Holyrood; a nationwide community rail showcase of sustainable, exciting tourism and leisure opportunities by rail; and the finals of the World Cup of Stations.

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer at Rail Delivery Group, said: “Community Rail Week is an opportunity to celebrate the brilliant initiatives that volunteers have produced in partnership with the rail industry all over the country. We are proud to partner with Community Rail to host our annual World Cup of Stations tournament and shine a light on some of the best loved stations. “Together we want to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and customer-focused rail experience for all and celebrate the role of local communities in enhancing our rail network.”