Join our social action groups, anchored around railway stations, working hard and making a difference for the local community.
What is Community Rail?
Community Rail is a growing movement made up of community rail partnerships, station adoption groups and an army of volunteers from across Britain. These groups connect their communities with the railway and play a key role in delivering projects which promote inclusion, diversity, creativity, sustainable travel, as well making improvements and bringing stations back to life.
Anyone can get involved in community rail including schools, colleges, local businesses, rail passengers, youth groups and gardening groups. Volunteers can give as much time as they can manage and the wide variety of activities mean that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Our ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme enables individuals or groups to adopt their own local railway station, to plant, paint, create and improve. Where great friendships can be made with station staff, other volunteers and members of the wider community.
As a company we are committed to getting closer to the communities we serve as this will result in us building a better railway. We are aware that we are merely custodians of much-cherished national community assets and we want to work with local people to use stations and train services to reflect and enhance community pride and prosperity.
Our annual Community Rail Report provides an overview of projects delivered across our network in 2025. Highlighting the social, economic, environmental value generated in the communities our networks serve.
Current Community Rail Partnerships on our network:
Marston Vale CRP
The Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership look after the route between Bedford and Bletchley. The group work incredibly hard to encourage local people, groups, organisations and businesses to become more involved in improving “the passenger experience” at stations and on trains.
Abbey Line CRP
Established in June 2005, the Abbey Line CRP looks after the 6.5 mile local line which runs between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey. They work with partner organisations to increase patronage of the line, promote sustainable travel, enhance station environments and give local communities the opportunity to become more involved in their local railway line.
North Staffordshire CRP
Located on the Crewe-Stoke-Derby route, known as the North Staffordshire Line , this active CRP’s aims are around developing station improvement projects to improve the travel experience, encouraging and facilitating station ‘adoption’, promoting the North Staffordshire Line for travel to work, to education and for leisure.
How can you get involved?
We can all help make a difference, if you want to volunteer or know of anyone in your local community, fellow passengers or workmates who would be interested in lending a hand to help make your station a special place to visit, you can email the community team: [email protected]
