Prestonpans is Scotland‘s Mural Town and this latest addition to the town’s incredible artworks features murals depicting its industrial and transport heritage and are fittingly located at the railway station.

The project saw a partnership formed between the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership,  local artists and the art department of Preston Lodge High School and has led to four stunning murals designs which provide a colourful look back at the past of the town.

Prestonpans railway station has featured murals and paintings for many years, however, its earlier artworks conditions have now declined and are unable to be repaired.

In order to keep up Prestopans reputation as Scotland’s ‘Mural Town’ the partnership came up with the idea and will see the new murals printed on polypropene giving them a longer life due to the material’s weather-resistant and highly durable nature.

Artist, Lesely Innes has created two of the murals which feature images of LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard and a Bedford Wiles coach from the 1950s which was used by a popular independent bus operator in Port Seton.

Artist, Thomas Ewing has also featured The Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway which opened in 1722 and is likely to be Scotland’s very first railway. The waggonway saw coal moved from the East Lothian coalfield from the Tranent area to the salt pans of Cockenzie and the port at Port Seton.

Preston Lodge High School designed the final mural which features the Prestongrange Heritage and Mining Museum where coal was mined by the monks of Newbattle Abbey in the 12th century.

Also pictured within the murals is local cat celebrity Rupert of Bankton who used to frequent Prestonpans Stations for a good number of years and was so adored by the local community and passengers that a statue has been put up in his honour in the town.

Using local artists from within Prestonpans, the project has also seen photography, digitisation and printing of the murals completed locally as the Community Rail Partnership also worked with Hangar Art and Framing in Drem and East Lothian Council.

Harry Barker, chair of the Community Rail Partnership, said: “Prestonpans has a very rich industrial and transport heritage, and the murals reflect this. The subjects were chosen to illustrate local historical interest, as we wanted local people to treasure their history. We hope that the murals will help to bring the past to life.

“It was very important to not only promote local content in the subject of the murals, but also to work with local artists, and it is wonderful that such local talent has been used in this project. We are absolutely delighted with the result.”

The majority of funding for the murals has been provided by CrossCountry alongside further support from ScotRail. The project was also supported by Community Rail Network which is an umbrella body for over 70 community rail partnerships throughout Britain.

Caroline Thompson-Noble, Community Rail Network’s sustainable travel engagement co-ordinator in Scotland, said: “Scotland’s network of community rail partnerships and station groups engage communities with their local railways and stations, promoting social inclusion, tourism, health and wellbeing, and enabling and encouraging more people to get around sustainably by train.

“We were delighted to support East Lothian CRP with this project, as we know that as well as improving the appearance of stations and creating welcoming gateways to the areas they serve, station art can also help to promote positive mental health and discourage anti-social behaviour. Every station has a story to tell, and the murals really give a sense of how important transport and the railway has been to Prestonpans.”

A formal launch will see the murals officially unveiled at Prestonpans station on Monday the 17th of April. To find out more about the project, please visit the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership website.