Working with local people to help communities get the most from their railways.
What is Community Rail?
Community rail is a growing, grassroots movement that helps communities get the most from their local railway.
It consists of more than 70 community rail partnerships (CRPs), around 1,000 station adopter groups and thousands of community volunteers.
Community Rail Network is the membership organisation for the sector. Their website includes a map showing the location their members across Great Britain and lots of other useful information about the sector.
Benefits of community rail
Community rail creates local connections. It helps rail to be community focused.
Community rail:
- Provides a voice for communities
- Promotes healthy and sustainable travel
- Supports diversity and inclusion
- Contributes to social and economic development
Community rails local value is in:
- Bringing people together
- Place-making and environment
- Aiding collaboration
- Providing local knowledge and understanding
- Breaking down barriers to travel and green transport
Community rail and the interaction with Governments
England
The Connecting Communities with the Railways is the government’s community rail strategy for England and Wales. Its approach supports community rail organisations to flourish as inclusive, independent, and sustainable groups, to deliver the strategy’s four key pillars:
- Providing a voice for the community
- Promoting sustainable, healthy and accessible travel
- Bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion
- Supporting social and economic development
Great British Railways: the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail prioritises community rail. Under the new organisation, Great British Railways: “Community rail partnerships will be empowered to strengthen rail’s social and economic impact.”
Scotland
ScotRail in the Community aims to make the railway an engine of social and economic regeneration; to generate engagement with local communities and support Scotland’s social, environmental, and economic objectives.
Wales
Transport for Wales wants to be good neighbours and work closely with local communities, through Community Rail Partnerships and an ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme.