48 penalty fares have been issued to ticketless travellers at Wolverhampton station this afternoon (5 Feb). Revenue protection and security managers from West Midlands Railway were checking tickets as passengers made their way in and out of the station, whilst supporting a knife arch exercise taking place at the same time.
A new compact community library has opened for passengers at Berkswell station. The initiative has been launched by station adopters from The Berkswell Society, who hope to engage with travellers and create a warm welcome for commuters.
A special display at Wellington station will be sharing a message of love with rail passengers this Valentine’s day. The local Women’s Institute (WI) are working with The Climate Coalition for their annual 'Show the Love' project. This year’s initiative will be based on the platforms at Wellington station from Monday (11 Feb) onwards.
Passengers are advised to check before they travel throughout this afternoon and evening, as services are being disrupted between Rugby and Stafford. Overhead lines have been damaged near to Lichfield and work is continuing to reopen the lines through the affected area.
Special artwork has been unveiled at Stone station, to celebrate 170 years of train services to and from the town. Students from Abbey Hill School in Longton have produced a set of paintings, which depict the station then and now. 11 of these pictures are now displayed around the waiting shelter on platform one.
As part of a six-month residency in Chelmsley Wood, artist Chris Alton is co-producing a contemporary take on a ‘Mystery Play’ to be performed in Spring 2019. Alton will work with local residents to explore story telling through a series of creative writing, performance, set and costume making workshops from January-April 2019.
Local children have come together with community volunteers and railway staff, to fill new planters outside Milton Keynes station. Great Linford Scouts were joined by Milton Keynes Model Railway Society and London Northwestern Railway staff on Saturday (26 January), to put the display together outside the main station entrance.
Railway station volunteers from across the country will be recognised at a special awards ceremony in Shropshire, later this year. The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) ‘Community Rail Awards’ dinner will be hosted at The International Centre in Telford, on 3 October 2019. West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway will be headline sponsors at this year's event.
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, has been praising the work of railway station volunteers across the region. He recently met with a group of local station adopters at Stechford, to learn about their work and encourage more groups to get involved in their local area.
West Midlands Railway has been clamping down on ticketless travel and antisocial behaviour on the Chase line. On Friday (18 January), a total of 25 revenue protection managers were stationed at six locations on the line between Bloxwich and Rugeley Town from 1500 until 1830.
Samaritans volunteers will be at railway stations across the network today, to raise awareness of Brew Monday. The annual campaign encourages railway staff and customers to take time out for a cup of tea and a chat. Brew Monday coincides with ‘Blue Monday’, which is considered to be the most difficult day of the year.
Adderley Park station has reopened, following an incident at the station earlier today (16 Jan). The station was closed for a number of hours and reopened at around 1730.