When Staines station in Surrey was recently adopted by local volunteers, it marked a significant step in South Western Railway‘s (SWR) community engagement programme.

Staines, recently named Medium Station of the year at the National Rail Awards, was the 100th station to be adopted meaning that more than half of the train operator’s stations are being looked after by community volunteers.

Nationally, more than 1,000 stations have been adopted and local groups are represented by the Community Rail Network. SWR funds groups’ membership of the network and also provides training, advice and resources.

SWR, which runs services out of London Waterloo to destinations such as Exeter, Weymouth, Bournemouth and Southampton as well as an extensive commuter network, encourages adoption groups to enhance station spaces for the benefit not only of passengers but also the whole local community. They play a vital role in supporting social, cultural, and economic development in their local areas, creating a sense of community and inclusion, and enhancing the customer experience.

Many groups introduce imaginative and creative ways to improve the station environment, a process which started when the Friends of Christchurch station adopted the Dorset destination in 2007.

Incredible Edible Spelthorne created an accessible community food growing space at Staines station, inspiring the local community to utilise space at the side of the station to learn how food is produced, sustainably grow food together and provide free food.  Other adoption groups have engaged in activities, such as delivering meals to vulnerable people on the Isle of Wight during the pandemic. Welcoming art displays have been installed in waiting rooms at Kingston and Aldershot.  Free shops have opened at Swaythling and Petersfield, supplying surplus foods and seasonal goods to those in need and cutting down on unnecessary waste.

The Community Brain, who adopted Tolworth station in south west London in 2018, has set up a sustainable creative space equipped with a professional kitchen and meeting space for 20 people, as well as a flourishing community garden which brightens up the station and provides a haven for nature. In May, the Community Rail Network launched the third annual Community Rail Week at Tolworth.  The Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, also attended Community Rail Week celebrations at SWR’s flagship terminus, London Waterloo.

Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director of South Western Railway, said: “The bond between South Western Railway and the communities we serve is of great importance to us and our fantastic station adopters have been vitally important in cultivating and deepening that relationship.

“Our station adopters are an integral part of the wider railway family, and it has been wonderful to see the many creative ways that they have contributed to local communities across the network as the number of adoption groups has expanded.

“I congratulate volunteers at Staines on becoming our 100th station adoption group and I look forward to seeing everything that they will achieve at our award-winning station.”

Nick Charalambous of the Staines Station Adoption Group added: “We are really proud to be South Western Railway’s 100th station adopter. Working with Staines station we are able to connect it with the local community through our community garden project.

“This is the borough’s first community garden and to achieve this at Staines station, which is the main transport link in the borough, is great. We are indebted to South Western Railway for their help and funding through their station adoption fund to lease the land for the garden.”