Want to develop local and regional railways by involving people?
This toolkit can help you do it. Its guidance draws on two decades’ of expertise from the UK’s community rail sector, as well as from France, Germany, the Netherlands and as far afield as Japan.
This toolkit can help you do it. Its guidance draws on two decades’ of expertise from the UK’s community rail sector, as well as from France, Germany, the Netherlands and as far afield as Japan.
Who is it for?
What is Citizens’ Rail?
What do you want to do?
Create better stations
Your station can become a focal point for the local community. More than just providing transport, it can be a welcoming gateway to your town – a place where people meet, shop, work or volunteer. The key is to be creative and to involve people – all the way from initial station design to making community-focused improvements.
Read this chapter
Your station can become a focal point for the local community. More than just providing transport, it can be a welcoming gateway to your town – a place where people meet, shop, work or volunteer. The key is to be creative and to involve people – all the way from initial station design to making community-focused improvements.
Read this chapter
Bring lines to life
Through imagination and partnership working, you can breathe new life into entire lines. Depending on local circumstances, the key may be to create more frequent services, improve the image of stations, raise awareness about what’s already on offer – or all three. The local community can help you to deliver each of these.
Read this chapter
Through imagination and partnership working, you can breathe new life into entire lines. Depending on local circumstances, the key may be to create more frequent services, improve the image of stations, raise awareness about what’s already on offer – or all three. The local community can help you to deliver each of these.
Read this chapter
Get people involved
Local communities have a huge amount to offer the railway. Reach out to schools, students, businesses and volunteers, and you’ll discover a wealth of benefits. You’ll introduce new audiences to rail travel, harness local energy and insights, create a sense of ownership, support the economy, and make stations more characterful and inclusive.
Read this chapter Interested in volunteering?
Local communities have a huge amount to offer the railway. Reach out to schools, students, businesses and volunteers, and you’ll discover a wealth of benefits. You’ll introduce new audiences to rail travel, harness local energy and insights, create a sense of ownership, support the economy, and make stations more characterful and inclusive.
Read this chapter Interested in volunteering?
Evaluate your success
Help your railway to go from strength to strength by building a picture of what works. Survey your existing passengers to find out their views. Ask the public about their travel choices and discover what would encourage them to travel by train. And look at the wider landscape to make sure you’re working with the right organisations.
Read this chapter
Help your railway to go from strength to strength by building a picture of what works. Survey your existing passengers to find out their views. Ask the public about their travel choices and discover what would encourage them to travel by train. And look at the wider landscape to make sure you’re working with the right organisations.
Read this chapter
Search the toolkit
How the rail industry works
Add to these resources
Site map
Toolkit homepage | Why get involved? | Contacts for volunteers | How the rail industry works
Create better stations
Improve existing stations
– Early consultation
– Designing with students
– Art and gardening projects
– Community-focused buildings
New uses for station buildings
Creating new stations
Improve existing stations
– Early consultation
– Designing with students
– Art and gardening projects
– Community-focused buildings
New uses for station buildings
Creating new stations
Bring lines to life
More trains, better stations
Attracting more users
Involving citizens and stakeholders
More trains, better stations
Attracting more users
Involving citizens and stakeholders
Get people involved
Volunteers
People with disabilities
Schools
Students
Businesses
Tourism sector
Rail ambassadors
Volunteers
People with disabilities
Schools
Students
Businesses
Tourism sector
Rail ambassadors
