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Community rail

Community rail involves local people and organisations working in partnership to improve their local railways.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 22 December 2015
• Last updated: 5 October 2020 — See all updates

What is community rail?

Community rail is a grassroots movement working to engage communities in their local railway. Initiatives range from people helping to maintain station gardens to major refurbishment schemes.

Although some community railways provide a tourism service, they are largely separate from heritage and private railways which function solely as tourist attractions.

Community rail takes the form of community rail partnerships and station adoption groups.

Community rail partnerships accreditation

Community rail partnerships bring together local groups and partners from the rail industry with industrial groups to deliver a wide range of rail activities.

The partnership usually represents a number of stations and services operating over a railway line. If you want to help an existing community rail partnership you should contact them directly.

We believe all community rail partnerships in England and Wales should be accredited.

The accreditation process is completed through our partner the Community Rail Network, and partnerships should contact them for support and further information. The decision for awarding accreditation is made by:

• Department for Transport
• the Welsh Government

Find out more about community rail partnerships

Station adoption groups

A station adoption group is the generic term for volunteers who limit their involvement to railway stations. They work to improve and maintain their stations with train operators and Network Rail but will normally not be involved with the operation of the trains themselves.

Station adoption groups are not subject to the same accreditation process as community partnership.

The process for helping at your local station is, once again, run by our sponsored partner Community Rail Network.

Apply to help at your local station.

Accredited community rail partnerships

Community rail partnerships which have been awarded accreditation or are in the process of applying for accreditation.

• Community rail partnerships and accreditation status
  • 25 June 2024
  • Transparency data

Future community rail development strategy

The development strategy sets out what we expect to see from community rail in England and Wales till 2028.

The strategy supports community rail organisations to be inclusive, independent and sustainable groups.

The community rail development strategy was an outcome of the consultation and by working with Community Rail Network who provide resources and training for community rail.

• Community rail development strategy
  • 14 April 2020
  • Guidance

Published 22 December 2015
Last updated 5 October 2020 + show all updates

1. 5 October 2020

   Alteration of accreditation application email.

2. 6 November 2017

   Consultation on the future of community rail strategy.

3. 29 September 2016

   TransWilts community rail line.

4. 10 February 2016

   Consultation on the proposal to designate the TransWilts Line (Swindon to Westbury) as a community rail service opens.

5. 22 December 2015

   First published.