The work to install the bee-friendly planters at Frome station in Somerset, was undertaken by volunteers from Network Rail, Frome Station Friends, and The Bee Friendly Trust in time for World Environment Day on Sunday the 5th of June.

The new planters are located on the station’s disused platforms and match another pair which are already installed at the station.

Passengers at Frome will enjoy a cleaner and brighter station, which now features a wonderful splash of summer colour which will enhance biodiversity by creating sustainable habitats to support urban wildlife.

A Network Rail volunteer team put up new fencing on the disused platform alongside tidying up overgrown plant life which has made the site safer for Frome Station Friends to look after the two bee-friendly planters. The planters were purchased by Network Rail from The Bee Friendly Trust.

The Bee Friendly Trust was first started in 2016 with the aim to raise the number of foraging habitats for urban bees. Working with Network Rail, the Trust is improving biodiversity by providing specialist knowledge for platform planters throughout the country.

The planters feature a special selection of plants which are starting to bloom and in doing so bring a wonderful splash of summer colours to Frome station whilst helping honey bees that forage for pollen and nectar.

Bees can find it difficult to find enough food in urban locations with numbers declining over recent years. The planters at Frome station also demonstrate to people how wildlife can co-exist on the railway, bringing the benefits of nature to journeys and brightening up the station for customers.

Network Rail’s environmental sustainability strategy commits to the ongoing care for plants and wildlife by protecting and maintaining habitats whilst making new ones such as Fromes planters which increase biodiversity.

Aleka Toogood, Network Rail environment specialist, said:

“I’d like to thank Frome Station Friends, The Bee Friendly Trust and all the volunteers for the fantastic work they’re doing to make the station a haven for bees.

“The railway plays a vital role in connecting wildlife habitats and these planters will help to support urban ecosystems by providing spaces for bees and other pollinators to thrive.

“The project offers broader social benefits for the community as well as the bees and helps connect local communities to the environment.

“There’s been a concerning decline in bees, butterflies and other pollinators across Britain and Network Rail has been working on a range of initiatives aimed at protecting these vital insects, which are crucial to a healthy environment.”

Emma Pritchard of The Bee Friendly Trust said:

“We are so excited that there are now four bee-friendly planters at Frome railway station, plus an educational mural in the waiting room.

“These projects not only provide vital forage and habitats for bees and myriad wildlife, but they also demonstrate the powerful role that community spirit and creative thinking can play when it comes to supporting pollinator populations.

“We hope the planters inspire users of the station to do their bit for nature – simply putting a pot of lavender on their doorstep or creating a window box of flowering herbs can have a positive impact.”

For further information about Network Rail’s work to protect pollinators, please visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/the-railway-and-our-pollinators/

For further information about The Bee Friendly Trust’s partnerships work with Network Rail, please take a look at their projects here: https://beefriendlytrust.org/railway-station-projects/