London Northwestern Railway: Local volunteers set to brighten up Northamptonshire station

Long Buckby station in West Northamptonshire is set for a makeover after volunteers have stepped forward to partner with London Northwestern Railway (LNR) as part of its ‘station adoption’ scheme.

As part of Community Rail Week (1 – 7 June), a couple from Long Buckby have signed up to ‘adopt’ Long Buckby station. The volunteers, Mark Thomsen and Danielle Causebrook, are already working on a range of innovative ideas to bring a community feel to the station, including information boards detailing local history and artwork by local schoolchildren.

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. LNR and sister-brand West Midlands Railway (WMR) jointly have over 440 volunteers across its network of 155 stations.

Also as part of LNR’s Community Rail Week activities, adopters for Bedfordshire’s Leighton Buzzard station were awarded the top prize for the train operator’s annual ‘Stations in Bloom’ competition, celebrating their work to liven up the station with planting.

Shantel Carty, community engagement manager at LNR, said: “This community rail week, we have been so pleased to officially welcome station adopters to Long Buckby. Mark and Danielle have wonderful plans to liven up the station, which I am so excited to see come to fruition.

“I also want to say a huge well done to Leighton Buzzard’s adoption group, whose fabulous planting make them worthy winners of our ‘Stations in Bloom’ award.”

To find out more about station adoption, visit: Station Adoption | LNR | London Northwestern Railway.