Network Rail, East Midlands Railway and the Friends of Beeston Station demonstrated strong partnership working to benefit Beeston station with a community volunteer day.
The event on Friday 5 June saw colleagues from the three organisations join forces to paint fencing and tidy the 19th-century station as part of Community Rail Week.
It follows the major upgrades seen at Beeston in the past 18 months, with more than £7.5 million invested in various improvements.
The £6 million scheme to deliver two new lifts, a walkway and steps was completed in spring 2025 under the Government’s Access for All programme.
Earlier this year, EMR carried out a £250,000 project to resurface and remodel the forecourt, adding a new cycle shelter and planters, and installing new lighting and extra seating.
In April, Network Rail completed a £1.36 million project to completely refurbish the waiting shelters and a historic canopy. This brings the total investment to £7.6 million, including a contribution of almost £80,000 in grants from the Railway Heritage Trust.
Now, the station has been further enhanced to benefit passengers, with today’s volunteer event enabling the Friends to mount a new display of railway heritage posters along the wall to complete the station’s recent transformation.
This collaborative effort is part of an ongoing initiative to improve railway stations while engaging with the local community, with the close working relationship only set to become stronger as the industry moves towards Great British Railways.
The event was planned to coincide with this week’s Community Rail Week, which celebrates the vital role of community involvement in railways.
Natasha Wilkinson, Network Rail customer account manager, said:
“The improvements made by our enthusiastic group of volunteers today help create an even more welcoming environment for everyone who uses Beeston station.
“We’re proud of our partnership working, so it’s fantastic to see colleagues from Network Rail and EMR coming together with the Friends group in this way, not only to enhance the station but also to support the local community during Community Rail Week.
“This builds on the significant investment made recently at Beeston and shows how improvements – both large and small – can make a difference to passengers’ day-to-day experiences.”
Kaye Robinson, EMR community engagement manager, said:
“We work with Network Rail and the friends groups across our network and have seven or eight of these community action days a year. The Friends of Beeston Station do fantastic work here, so we wanted to come and give something back during National Volunteers Week and Community Rail Week, helping to build on the major recent improvements at the station.”
Sarah Hampton, secretary of the Friends of Beeston Station, said:
“It is always a pleasure to take part in community days. It helps us to undertake larger projects and makes us feel part of the team in our efforts to keep the station attractive, tidy and well maintained. The wall is a bit of an eyesore, but a coat of heritage paint and a new display of posters will complement the improvements to the rest of the station.”
