The winners by category are listed below.

Involving Community Groups - sponsored by Northern Rail

1st Place Lincolnshire Education Business Partnership for the
Work Experience Placements at the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership Office
The Lincolnshire & Rutland Education Business Partnership works to encourage improved links between education and business. Through its programmes, the EBP provides young people with a wide range of high quality, relevant, structured work experiences throughout their school careers. The Poacher Line CRP takes this a step further by working with the schools to correspond with students and to steer them through an application process, thereby giving the scenario an added sense of realism. The judges liked this very positive project, giving as it does young people the opportunity to experience the workings of a busy Community Rail Partnership.

2nd Place University of Plymouth Students Union
Volunteering Department - Rural Stations Project
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership have been working with the Volunteer in Plymouth group for over two years improving station gardens on the Looe Valley and the Tamar Valley Lines and involving over 200 students from all over the world

3rd Place South Pennines Rail Partnership for Reaching Out in the South Pennines Project
The Reaching out in the South Pennines Project has focussed on working with Black and Minority Ethnic groups in the Lockwood and Thornton Lodge areas of Huddersfield. The partnership has held workshops to raise awareness of rail travel which has included planning and going on a rail journey.

Shortlisted - Eastside Roots for a Community Garden Centre at Stapleton Road Station near Bristo

Shortlisted - Docklands Light Railway for their Community Ambassador Scheme

Community Art Schemes - sponsored by the ATOC

1st Place Dave Stocking - Sandown High School Inclusion Unit for the 'On Track' Art Project
This ambitious art project saw young people from Sandown High Schools inclusion unit, work positively across their community to research and gather pictorial information for low relief sculpture panels to further improve Sandown stations disabled access ramp.
The young people decided on a timeline showing the past, present and future of rail. A team of local artists then worked with the young people at the station through rain and shine to deliver this innovative art.
The artwork has been well received by the community and rail passengers alike and has given increased local ownership to the young people who took part.

2nd Place Emily Fuller, St Peter's School and Brian Lee for the St Albans Abbey Stations Mosaics    
To celebrate 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Abbey Line, the CRP wanted to improve St Albans Abbey Station. So they sought out a community artist to work with St Peters School to design and install a mosaic. The result is a beautiful piece of art  that often stops passengers in their tracks on their way to the platform!

3rd Place Ann Crawford and Adele Conn for Prestonpans and Invergordon Station Murals
Prestonpans and Invergorden are Scotland’s two mural towns – with their railway stations now providing fitting gateways for visitors arriving by train.

Shortlisted -The South Pennines Rail Partnership - Catch the 'Creative Train' Project

Shortlisted - The Imagine Plymouth Project

Local Transport Integration- Sponsored by Lancashire County Council

1st Place Terry Gough and Dorset County Council for the Thornford Station Access Project
A long held dream of a Wessex CRP supporter, Terry Gough, finally made the local accessibility agenda thanks to First Great Western. Thornford Station is one mile from the nearest settlement along a lethal rat run road. Add to that a total lack of parking anywhere nearby and it meant that the viable use of the station was reduced to the hardiest and the bravest.
Then along came First Great Western and their special community wishlist budget which triggered match funding and implementation by Dorset County Council of a project to provide a car park area and a footpath to the station.
With the project now part of the local transport plan the path will be extended to serve other nearby communities giving a new access point to the Heart of Wessex line.
The judge’s view was that this was a great project with local people looking at a problem and acting with partners to reduce obstacles to access. First Great Western are to be commended for providing small scale funding to get smaller projects from community aspiration to reality.

2nd Place - Chester - Shrewsbury Rail Partnership and Wrexham County Borough Council for Ruabon Station Interchange
Ruabon Station was like many around the network - facilities were poor and there seemed little scope for improvement. However, when land became available and with a very supportive local authority, the station car park and interchange areas have been totally regenerated.

3rd Place - Widen the Choice Rural Transport Partnership & National Express East Anglia - Sunday Trains for Countryside Access
Rural stations are often a good place to start exploring the countryside, but sometimes the lack of services precludes this. Through partnership working between National Express East Anglia, the RSPB, Widen the Choice Rural Transport Partnership and the CRP  both Buckenham on the Wherry Lines and Lakenheath on the Norwich – Ely line have had Sunday service stops added to offer excellent opportunities for cycling and walking.

Shortlisted - Helen Stichbury for the Isle of Wight Travelsafe Road Shows

Shortlisted - Fife Council for Markinch Integrated Public Transport Interchange

Best Station Garden Award - sponsored by Network Rail

1st Place The Gardens at Sudbury Station
The gardens at Sudbury station are a real gem, Darren Johnson, John Sayers and his Sudbury in Bloom team have spent a lot of time establishing the gardens, their latest creation being new a 40ft flower bed replacing an uncared for hedge. The judges liked these gardens very much, particularly the volunteers’ use of colour, and choice of plants and shrubs that attract much wild life. A very worthy winner.

2nd Place Hutton Cranswick Station Garden
Hutton Cranswick station gardens provide a colourful and attractive rural setting for rail users. Six volunteer station adopters maintain nineteen half barrels of mixed perennials and bedding plants. Working with train operator Northern and Hutton Hostas, a local specialist grower, enabled further permanent planting to take place around the station this last year.

3rd Place - Friends of Crediton Station
Created from nothing over the last five years, the gardens at Crediton station adds much extra colour to this historic Devon Station and are testament to the hard work put in by the Friends of Crediton Station.

Shortlisted - Friends of Chelford Station in Cheshire

Shortlisted - Sheringham Station Garden in North Norfolk

Best Station or Train Retail Outlet - sponsored by First Scotrail

1st Place Wymondham Station Brief Encounter Café and Ticket Office
David Turner’s Brief Encounter café at Wymondham station provides the blueprint for what can be achieved when new life is breathed into a station.
Such is the reputation of The Brief Encounter Café that many people travel to Wymondham just to look around or browse in the shop and museum.
During the last year, working in partnership with train operator National Express East Anglia, a part time ticket office has been opened at the station to serve the busy morning trains. Other improvements at the station included new information screens and public address systems provided by Norfolk County Council. The combined impact of all these efforts’ is a station where the retail offer centred on the buffet offers passengers a friendly high quality and popular local service valued by and benefitting the community in Wymondham.

2nd Place Gobowen Station Booking Office - Severn-Dee Travel
There are booking offices and booking offices but at Gobowen they have a community rail booking office. Here the booking office is part of the community.

3rd Place The Coffee Station at Hebden Bridge
Based in the former parcels office, the coffee station offers a mouth watering range of snacks and drinks, using local produce from around the Calder Valley. Fully integrated into the rail partnership the owner works with the CRP officer to promote the line and the train service. The coffee is great too.

Shortlisted - Huddersfield Station Buffet

Shortlisted - Sue's Snack Station - Sleaford Station

New Uses for Railway Buildings - sponsored by Network Rail

1st Place Metal at Edge Hill Station - A Cultural Destination
An historic landmark, Edge Hill Station is one of the world’s oldest railway stations, being a part of the first main line passenger railway.
Metal, is an organisation which supports artists from all disciplines by creating time and space for the development of ideas around the artists’ work. 
Earlier this year, the group launched a programme of cultural activity in the unused space at Edge Hill Station bringing it back into use as a centre for their work.
Metal at Edge Hill is a prime example of the railway industry and the arts working together to resurrect a key historic building transforming it into a unique facility recognised nationally and internationally.

2nd Place Bamber Bridge Station Refurbishment
This exciting community based project was developed by East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership. The project has seen the full refurbishment of the historic 1846 station building and its high quality conversion to community use.
The timing of the project was also perfect as South Ribble Pensioners Association were looking for a new base, and have now taken up residence in the station. The project also saw the full upgrade of all station facilities, including CCTV, signage, seats and shelters.

3rd Place - Whistlestop Stores, Playgroup Supplies,  Great Malvern Station
Malvern Social Education Centre, working with the Community Stations Initiative have taken over space at Great Malvern Station and opened Whistlestop Stores.
The venue offers service users the opportunity to put into practice the skills they have learned back at the education centre in a public and commercial environment.

Shortlisted - Pitlochry Station Bookshop Project

Shortlisted - The Platform Art Gallery at Mistley Station

2nd Place Batman and Robin -- Ian Jackson

3rd Place Just another day in Cornwall - Lee Edworthy

Most Enhanced Community/Heritage Station
sponsored by the Railway Heritage Trust

1st Place North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership for the Station Projects at  Longport and Longton
The key objective of this project by North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership was to regenerate Longton and Longport Stations in Stoke on Trent.   The aim was to deliver a safer, more modern waiting environment for passengers that would encourage use of the Crewe to Derby train service.
The partnership won a grant of £250,000 from the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone to deliver this ambitious project at both stations. The project included anti vandal shelters, Closed Circuit TV, Customer information screens, improved lighting and passenger information points. Associated publicity and advertising achieved an average 20% increase in passenger numbers. 94% of new passengers taking part in a follow up survey said that they felt safe waiting at these stations.

2nd Place Woodbridge Station
The upgrade and enhancement of Woodbridge station provides an excellent example of a restored and renewed transport interchange fulfilling its role in an important country town.
Local authorities and the train operator have come together to improve and maintain the infrastructure and provide essential facilities. There has also been a great deal of volunteer involvement, coordinated by the East Suffolk Line CRP.
The result is that Woodbridge - officially an unstaffed station - now has an excellent range of amenities, including interchange with other modes, rail tickets and local information from the Tourist information centre and even refreshments from the station café.

3rd Place South West Trains, the Heritage Railway Trust & Network Rail for Swaythling Station
Swaything station is a small listed building located on the outskirts of Southampton. The station suffered from an increased level of vandalism, falling patronage and a fear by local residents that the station was a no-go area.
In 2007, part of the station had to be removed, due to a fire and the need to remove asbestos. South West Trains saw an opportunity to work with its partners to transform the station and restore a traditional heritage appearance that would encourage usage, make a real visual impact and engage local residents by creating a station to be proud of. Passenger numbers are up 5% at Swaythling and there have been no reports of vandalism since the work was completed.

Shortlisted -Kent Community Rail Partnership & Southeastern for Paddock Wood Station Clock

Shortlisted - Great Malvern Station, Whistlestop Stores Playgroup Supplies

Best Marketing Publication sponsored by Southern

1st Place Medway Valley Line Newsletter
Kent CRP issues a colourful newsletter to local stations, information points, pubs, shops and post offices along the line. It’s also downloadable from the CRP website.
The newsletter publicises events along the line, draws attention to local amenities and generally helps to encourage new passengers to use the line.
The judges liked the clear design and well laid out content of the Medway Valley Line newsletter. It is an excellent example of the CRP and Train operator working together to produce a quality publication well received by rail and potential rail users.

2nd Place East Suffolk Line Walks Guide
The East Suffolk Line Walks Guide is an innovate scheme to connect all 12 stations on the East Suffolk line by means of a way-marked public footpath route. The walks guide book is central to the project and proving hugely popular. The judges liked the clear maps and directions in the guide which makes it a benchmark for others to follow for this type of publication.

3rd Place Explore the Yare Valley on Sundays
The Explore the Yare Valley leaflet and poster promotes stations on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth Wherry Lines as a string of pearls for countryside recreation. The colourful leaflet highlights the lanes, bridleways and footpaths between stations and shows how to find RSPB reserves that line the route.

Shortlisted - The Fife Access Guide

Shortlisted - The Lakes Line Real Ale Trail

Best Marketing Event sponsored by First Great Western

1st Place South West Trains, The Dream Train
The Dream train was a two day event to promote the Lymington Line and help promote a community charity event. Featuring South West Trains staff in fancy dress, special commemorative tickets and appalling weather, the event raised £2,000 for the Dreams Come True charity.
The judges thought this was a very good example of a train operator working with partners to promote its line using an existing event, thereby adding value to that event , and indeed assisting an excellent charity.

2nd Place The 150th Anniversary of the Abbey Line
On the 5th May 2008 the Abbey Line celebrated its 150th anniversary in grand style with a procession of local dignitaries through town, dancing in the streets and even a visit by the Men from the Ministry! The celebrations continued at Bricket Wood where a re-creation of the famous Henry Gray Funfair took place all afternoon.

3rd Place East Grinstead's Big Day Out
As part of the Community Rail week celebrations, East Grinstead’s Big Day Out had a big ambition – to promote East Grinstead’s local attractions as places that can be visited by public transport. Despite the wet weather this event did just that, so much so that a consortium of organisations is now going to make this an annual event.

Shortlisted - Open Country Radio Broadcast, BBC Radio Four

Shortlisted - Northern Rail's Sponsorship of Liverpool Capital of Culture

Best Community Rail Website sponsored by ACoRP

1st Place Crewe - Manchester Community Rail Partnership & Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership Websites
The judges’ view was that these websites produced in tandem to promote two adjacent Community Rail Lines, has excellent structure and content. The focus on destination marketing was commended, as was the accessibility.
www.midcheshirerail.org.uk
www.crewe2manchesterrail.org.uk

2nd Place Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership Website
The Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership Website provides a one stop shop for all information concerning the Marston Vale Line.
The website has proved very popular with existing and occasional users of the line.
www.marstonvalecommunityrail.org.uk/

3rd Place Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership Website
The Abbey Line is a good example of a volunteer developed website, that provides all the information you might need to use the Abbey Line.
www.abbeyline.org.uk/

Shortlisted - Todmorden Station Partnership
www.todmordenstation.btik.com/

Department for Transport ‘Passengers  Matter’ Award
This award is about promoting the achievement of outstanding service and recognising an organisation, team or individual that has demonstrated that they have made a significant and positive difference to the passenger experience.

1st Place Sgt. Roscoe, Hampshire Constabulary for Isle of Wight Travelsafe Project
Project Travelsafe is aimed at and produced by young people on the Isle of Wight.
The Travelsafe poster campaign and subsequent involvement of Hampshire Police, led the Isle of Wight CRP to facilitate transport consultations in schools. Travel safe steering groups were set up comprising transport providers, the Police and the CRP where young people can voice their concerns about community safety.
The result has been a programme where the transport operators and police can react promptly and positively to problems as and when they occur, with the full backing of the young people.
The judges’ view was that this was an excellent way of approaching the problem of anti-social behaviour on public transport, and could well be replicated elsewhere with equal success.

2nd Place National Express East Anglia, Rural Station Staffing Scheme
The introduction by National Express East Anglia of part time staff at four local stations in Norfolk during morning peak and other busy times, has delivered a better service to passengers – making ticket purchase easier, increasing revenue and reducing vandalism. As part of the project, passenger information has been upgraded, extra assistance for passengers with heavy luggage is available and cleaning standards raised, all enhancing the image of the railway, making the stations a proud gateway into the towns they serve.

3rd Place North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership for the Station Improvements at Longton and Longport
Passenger priorities were at the forefront of station developments at Longton and Longport on the Derby – Crewe line. The CRP and train operator delivered £250,000 worth of improvements at the stations. Subsequently they have seen a year-on-year increase in usage of 20%.

Shortlisted - Sussex Community Rail Partnership for ‘Passengers Get Their Sunday Service’

Shortlisted - First Great Western for their Community Wish List

Department for Transport Best Marketing Plan Award

1st Place Penistone Line Partnership Plan

Shortlisted - Nottingham - Skegness Line Marketing Strategy

Best Station Adoption Group. sponsored by East Midlands Trains

1st Place Friends of Leamington Station
The Friends of Leamington Station have worked with the support of train operator Chiltern for three years to make Leamington station a great place to start or finish a journey. The station has been transformed with copies of the original Great Western running in boards, GWR benches and replacement of the 1930’s booking hall clock. The group also look after the extensive terraced gardens, borders, lawns and tubs that decorate the station. Volunteers work each weekend rain or shine to ensure their high standards are maintained.

2nd Place Friends of Bruton Station
The Friends of Bruton station have been working there for over 10 years, being the first group on the Bristol – Weymouth line. Not only are they talented gardeners but they also produce local timetables aimed at local community need and initiated a special project to assist mobility impaired passengers to access trains.

3rd Place Friends of Brierfield Station
The Friends of Brierfield station on the line to Colne in Lancashire have been working for three years to improve the station. The make up of the group is unusual and includes retired railwaymen, members of the rail user group, local councillors, townsfolk and a secret gardener who appears to work under cover of darkness!  Organised by the local neighbourhood manager, Sara Mumby, the group’s biggest success so far has been working with a local alternative school group to clear the site in front of the station and get a picnic area established on what hitherto was an overgrown tip.

Shortlisted - Friends of Christchurch Station

Shortlisted - Friends of Walkden Station  

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution  sponsored by Network Rail

1st Place Janet Cloke - Station Adopter Althorne
Janet has worked as a station adopter for the last ten years at Althorne station on the line to Southminster.
It is not just one event that makes an outstanding volunteer but years of commitment to a cause that the volunteer considers important. Janet has never lost her enthusiasm and turns up at CRP meetings and events to talk to members of the public as enthusiastically as if it were her first time.
The judges were impressed with Janet’s ability to see the big picture and her skill in being able to communicate willingly what her community wants from their local station and train service.
       

2nd Place Andy Hutchings - Heart of Wessex Line, Weymouth
Well known and loved station adopter Andy Hutchings has been volunteering for the Heart of Wessex line for many years. Of his many projects, the instigation of the ‘Overcrowding Watch’ scheme is one that stands out, informing with hard data, First Great Westerns summer 2008 service plan.  He has also, successfully lobbied, to ensure that local Government funding was not withdrawn from the Wessex CRP.

3rd Place Ken Roberts - Ribble Valley Rail
Ken is a member of Ribble Valley Rail and come rain or shine you will find him caring for Ramsgreave and Wilpshire Station – tending plants or picking up litter. At nearly 80 years old Ken is a shining example of the army of volunteers who give their time to make the railway a more attractive environment for passengers.

Shortlisted - John Hulme - Mid Cheshire & Crewe - Manchester Community Rail Partnerships

Shortlisted - Jean Margetts - South Pennines Rail Partnership

Outstanding Railway Staff Contribution sponsored by Arriva Trains Wales

1st Place Nick Monks, Coordinator Bristol Suburban Stations
Nick is employed by First Great Western as coordinator, Bristol Suburban Stations and has made a significant difference to these stations. Nick’s hard work, dedication and determination has brought about a massive change in the day to day feel of the stations. He has played a significant part in the station development work co-ordinated by Severnside CRP, and has taken on addition work to make the project a success, including washing the 180ft shelter at Avonside to ensure the artwork done by local young people is kept in top condition. Nick is a worthy winner of the 2008 railway staff contribution award.

2nd Place Ian Macavoy and the Station staff at Brockenhurst Station
Ian is a supervisor at Brockenhurst Station, at one end of the Lymington Line.
Ian has been very successful at motivating the staff to raise standards, by cultivating their ideas and putting in to action such projects as building flower boxes, station painting and customer focus activities such as ticket vending machine demonstrations.
 Ian’s passion and enthusiasm is the key, pulling everything together, giving the staff and passengers a brighter day.

3rd Place Dave Walden, Station Master, Bradford on Avon
Dave Walden is the famed ‘station master’ at Bradford on Avon, whose customer service is legendary. Of his many exploits, organising open evenings for the public to demonstrate how a small station works attracted the attention on the judges most. Dave was voted Bradford on Avon’s citizen of the year in 2007 in recognition of his great work at the station.

Shortlisted -Graham Blake, Holmes Chapel Station

Shortlisted - Don Reid, Station Manager on the Tarka Line

Shotlisted - Matthew Gibson, Station Manager, Northern Rail

Outstanding Community Rail Partnership Officer Contribution sponsored by the Association of Train Operating Companies

1st Place Faye Lambert, North Staffordshire CRP
Since joining the North Staffordshire CRP Faye has achieved a wide range of spectacular objectives which have resulted in a transformation of the Crewe - Derby Line. In total, she has attracted £500,000 for station improvements along the line, effectively promoted the line through advertising and line guides, involved school children of primary and secondary school age in imaginative ways and has established friends groups at all the stations. The judges were very impressed with the way that Faye has worked across so many areas. Her hard work has resulted in a 21.7% increase in passenger numbers over the last year on the North Staffordshire Line, with an astonishing 57% increase at Longport.

2nd Place Bobby Lock, Isle of Wight CRP
Since Bobby joined the Isle of Wight CRP she has managed award winning projects such as the art scheme at Sandown and the Travelsafe project and is currently co-ordinating the renovation of Sandown station building.  She has now also joined the ACoRP board and taken under her wing the Lymington - Brokenhurst CRP. As such Bobby is fast becoming ACoRP’s expert on heritage rolling stock!

3rd Place Sarah Collins, Severnside CRP
When Sarah joined the Severnside CRP two years ago, many of the Bristol inner city stations were in a poor condition. She has worked tirelessly with local communities to make the stations more welcoming and friendly places, where passengers no longer feel threatened.
Sarah has been working with the probation service and arranged for community  service offenders to undertake renovation work, following this up by forging links with local schools to maintain and adopt the stations. Sarah has shown tremendous enthusiasm, perseverance and determination and the result is a major success story for the partnership, the community and the railway.

Shortlisted - Catherine Phillips, Heart of Wessex CRP

Shortlisted - Samantha Bryant, Sussex CRP

Shortlisted - Brian Howarth, East Lancs CRP

The Overall Winner sponsored by South West Trains
The overall winner’s award is presented to the group, CRP, individual or train operating company - or any combination -  that in the judges’ view has contributed the most to community rail development in the past 12 months.

Recognising just one winner is not an easy task and this year has been the closest ever in trying to decide an overall winner. However, one train operator working with three CRP’s and a growing band of Station Adopters has caught our attention. This group has literally come from nowhere to challenge the dominance of the North of England in the CRP stakes.

South West Trains

and their three CRP partners

Three Rivers,

Isle of Wight, and

Lymington Line CRP

For infromation on how to enter the Community Rail Awards 2009 please contact Hazel@acorp.uk.com