Local volunteers set to brighten up two brand-new West Midlands Railway stations

Two brand-new stations are set to be beautified after dozens of volunteers have stepped forward to partner with West Midlands Railway (WMR) as part of its ‘station adoption’ scheme.

As part of Community Rail Week (1 – 7 June), WMR has announced that Willenhall in the Black Country and Pineapple Road (Stirchley) in South Birmingham now have dedicated volunteer groups, who are already working on a range of innovative ideas to bring a community feel to each of the stations.

Willenhall station, which opened in March 2026 and connects passengers with Wolverhampton and Birmingham, is now adopted by a group of volunteers led by the local Councillor for Willenhall, Simran Cheema.

Pineapple Road station in Stirchley, which opened in April 2026 as part of the new Camp Hill Line, is adopted by volunteers from Dads Lane Community Association.

Both groups plan to host local community events and introduce new planters at the stations, featuring colourful floral displays set to brighten up the platforms.

Station adopters are volunteers who lend a helping hand at their local station to keep it well maintained. Their projects can include gardening, painting and installing artwork or information boards. WMR and sister-brand London Northwestern Railway (LNR) jointly have over 440 volunteers across its network of 155 stations.

Also as part of WMR’s Community Rail Week activities, adopters for Coseley station were awarded the top prize for the train operator’s annual ‘Stations in Bloom’ competition, celebrating its beautiful floral displays.

Shantel Carty, community engagement manager at WMR, said: “We are so pleased these two new stations have found volunteer groups already, just a few months after opening. These groups are hugely enthusiastic with exciting initiatives planned to bring their local stations to life and fully embed them into the community.

“We hope to eventually have all five new stations adopted, so if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please do get in touch with us.”

To find out more about station adoption, visit: Station Adoption | West Midlands Railway.