A project at Sleaford station to repaint and transform unused space at the station has been completed.

The project, costing £204,000, saw unused space converted into a new community room for use by local schools and groups to hold events and also learn about the railway.

Station adopters at this station will also benefit from the new community space as the building has a new water harvesting system which can be used to keep their garden beds looking beautiful.

As well as the community room being completed, the station itself got a new coat of heritage coloured paint.

The painting was supervised by Rail Heritage to ensure the correct colours of Buckingham green and cream were used.

Before the project, the building was in quite a bit of disrepair.

However, thanks to part funding from multiple organisations such as East Midlands Railway, the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership, CrossCountry and the Rail Heritage Trust, the station looks in great condition

Lisa Angus, Transition and Projects Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We are pleased that the project has been finished and that the local community can now make use of the new facilities at the station.
“The community room will provide a useful space for local organisations, schools and volunteers. The repainting of the station in heritage colours also looks great and provides a good first impression of the town when customers use our services.”

Tim Hedley-Jones, Executive Director at the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “We are very pleased to have supported this project with a grant to help restore this station. We are especially pleased with the quality of the repainting which has been undertaken to show off the station in its LNER heritage colours, and that rooms at the station have been brought back into community use.”

Peter Roberts, Chair of the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership, said: “The opening of the new room is great news and it will really benefit local voluntary orgnisations around the town who need a convenient place to meet.
“It is also lovely to see the station in its new heritage colours.”

David Jones, Stakeholder Liaison Manager at CrossCountry said: “CrossCountry links with the Poacher Line at Nottingham providing connectivity to the West Midlands, Wales and the South for people travelling from and to Sleaford station.
“We are delighted to support our Community Rail Partnerships with funding for great restoration projects like this that breathe new life into disused station buildings which can then be used by local community groups.”