Grassroots rail initiative bringing people together in Edale honoured nationally
Edale Station Friends is celebrating national recognition after winning Silver Award for ‘Your Station’ at the 21st Community Rail Awards, for its innovative work engaging communities with their local railway.
The event, organised by Community Rail Network and supported by headline partner East Midlands Railway, took place in Derby on Thursday 19 March. A record-breaking 610 guests attended, including volunteers, community leaders and rail industry figures from across England, Scotland and Wales.
Judges reviewed more than 300 entries showcasing the extraordinary work taking place across Britain to connect communities with their railways.
Edale Station Friends won the award for its Sprucing Up project, which aimed to make Edale station a pleasure for visitors as they travel and villagers to feel proud of their station.
Jon Pearce MP said “I am so proud that four of the Station Friends Groups in High Peak were shortlisted for a national award. We are incredibly lucky to have these groups running in our communities andI am grateful to all the station volunteers who give up their own time improving the stations for the benefit of residents and visitors. Congratulations to Edale Station Friends on winning the silver award. This is a thoroughly well-deserved recognition of their hard work and the difference they have made in the local community”
Edale Station Friends have been making their station a cheery, interesting and informative environment for visitors and residents alike since 2017, and their dedication is a shining example of how stations should be celebrated and cared for. The volunteers pulled out all the stops during the Railway 200 year, painting the station shelters, benches and lampposts ‘Midland Red and Cream’, in a nod to the station’s original heritage colours. They took the school children for a ride on a steam train and organised a month-long project enabling the children to explore the history, current and future benefits of the railway. They hosted a celebratory event in November 2025, showcasing local artwork, archival photographs, and a special media project, bringing the Hope Valley Line to life through film and sound.
More broadly, Edale Station Friends delivers a wide range of community engagement and social inclusion initiatives, supports volunteering at stations, promotes green travel and tourism by rail, and works with railway and local authority partners.
Rebecca Styles, the Regional Community and Sustainability Manager for Northern Rail said “Having witnessed first-hand the amazing work undertaken by the Edale Station Friends particularly over the last three years, I find the station extremely welcoming to the many thousands of visitors each year into the Peak District National Park by rail. The group display great ideas and visions for their station, local community and beyond. I am fortunate to be able to work alongside such an inclusive, proactive, and friendly team.”
Across Britain, the community rail movement continues to grow. There are now 76 community rail partnerships and around 1,300 volunteer station groups working with train operators, councils and local organisations to make rail travel more accessible, sustainable and connected to local communities.
Community Rail Network chief executive Jools Townsend, said: “Our awards celebrate the volunteers, community groups and local partnerships helping transform Britain’s railway stations into welcoming gateways to their communities.
“From supporting young people to travel independently, to creating greener stations and vibrant community spaces, these projects show how powerful local action can be.
“As the railway celebrates its 200th anniversary, community rail is helping ensure the network’s future is just as much about people and places as it is about trains and tracks. Our congratulations to Edale Station Friends and to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who supports and champions community rail, helping the movement to go from strength to strength.”
