Published on: Thursday, 19 June 2014
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Acle rail station looks blooming lovely thanks to a partnership between a local woman and train operator Abellio Greater Anglia.
The station, on Norwich – Great Yarmouth railway line, has received a makeover thanks to station adopter, Deborah Mann, who has planted stunning floral displays to welcome visitors who arrive by rail.
The platform now boasts an array of attractive new tubs and hanging baskets planted with summer flowers including Geranium, Cosmos, Marigold, Fuchsia, Million Bells, Petunia and a wildflower patch provided by Acle Parish Council as part of a project to create wildflower areas all around the village.
Deborah also tends the station’s Roses, Hydrangea and Rhododendron plants and is working to restore a hedge that was previously damaged by rabbits. The hedge was once trimmed into the shape of a train and, once it is back to full health, Deborah plans to return it to its former glory.
Deborah, who lives in the station house at Acle, has been a station adopter for the past 11 years, and was one of the first to join the Adopt-a-Station scheme. Her work over the years has transformed Acle into one of the prettiest on the Norwich – Great Yarmouth line.
Abellio Greater Anglia’s Area Customer Service Manager, James Reeve, said, “Deborah has worked very hard and the station looks lovely as a result. We would like to thank her for her continued support and enthusiasm for the Adopt A Station initiative.”
Abellio Greater Anglia’s Adopt-a-Station initiative sees volunteers around the network adopting their local stations and reporting to the train operator about the standard of facilities at the station as well as bringing their own schemes to fruition – such as acquiring a new bench for the platform, planting gardens and filling flower tubs, and helping to keep the platforms free from litter.
The Adopt-a-Station initiative is aimed at improving lines of communication between the train operator and railway station users, promoting and encouraging feedback about the station buildings and facilities to help ensure that they meet the high standards expected by those who use them.