Published on: Friday, 31 May 2024
Last updated: Friday, 31 May 2024
Community Rail Week at London Liverpool Street station. Credit: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia’s Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) were out in force during national Community Rail Week 2024, which took place from May 20 to May 26, to showcase the innovative projects and inspiring initiatives they’ve been delivering, on the routes they support across the Greater Anglia network, around the theme of ‘More Than A Railway’.
The idea behind the theme was to highlight the inspiring work that goes on in community rail that brings people together and creates more inclusive communities, as well as the wider socio-economic benefit that the railways deliver. Day trippers to East Anglia were encouraged to leave the car at home and use the train for their journeys.
The highlight of Community Rail Week took place on Thursday 23 May, at London Liverpool Street station, when most of the region's CRPs – the Essex & South Suffolk, East Suffolk Lines, Bittern Line, Wherry Lines, and New River Line Community Rail Partnerships - joined forces for a vibrant promotional display, showcasing Greater Anglia's scenic rail lines in East Anglia for green leisure trips.
By setting up their stall at the major terminus, right in heart of the City of London, they were able to promote all the great work they do and the enjoyable days out by train that are possible across East Anglia, to the thousands of people who pass through the station.
Alan Neville, Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, said:
“It is so easy to get to the stunning cities, towns, and coastlines in East Anglia by train - and it helps the planet too, by reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 70% compared to the car.
“We have a range of great value fares available to make a trip by rail the best choice for a great day out in the region and we are grateful to our community rail partnerships for helping to raise awareness with this event.”
Community Rail Week, organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by the Rail Delivery Group, shines a light on the year-round work of Britain’s 76 community rail partnerships, 140 station groups and 10,000 volunteers who are involved in community rail activities across the country.
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.