12 new community rail posters were launched, featuring images and narrative from example projects throughout the network; Coseley, Hednesford, Northfield, Nuneaton, Olton, Ridgmont, Stechford, Stone, Stratford-upon-Avon, Widney Manor and two projects at Smethwick. The posters are being showcased at Snow Hill station with the aim of encouraging more people to join their local Adopt a Station scheme.

The conference follows what has been a hugely successful year for London Midland’s Adopt a Station initiative, with thirty stations being adopted from right across the network, involving almost 200 new adopters. Helping the train operating company to get closer to the communities it serves, the scheme aims to make stations more welcoming, providing ‘Simply Better Journeys’ for customers. London Midland supplements this work through other far reaching community rail projects, eight of which have been shortlisted at the national Community Rail Awards which will be announced on 5 October.

In addition to supporting community rail partnerships on the Abbey Line and Marston Vale Line, the latter of which has seen its number of adopters double in the last year, London Midland is now also jointly funding North Staffordshire CRP. This has enabled the extension of community rail objectives to stations like Penkridge, which has recently been enhanced through community art produced by local primary schools.

Faye Lambert, head of community rail at London Midland, commented: “The new posters at Snow Hill are a great way of telling the story of what has been achieved thanks to the hard work and dedication of station adopters, community partners and our CRPs over the past twelve months. It is thanks to them that so many communities and customers can now enjoy the special added value that community involvement brings to stations, something of which they should all be incredibly proud.”

Richard Brooks, commercial director at London Midland, added: “We hope that people passing through Snow Hill will be inspired by the fantastic work undertaken by local adopters and it will encourage them to be part of their local railway. It’s been rewarding to look back at the past year of station adoptions and we trust the next will be equally, if not more, successful.”