Local Train Station Displays Community Pride

Photo: Representatives from Derwent Valley Line Stations with their awards

Ambergate, Belper and Cromford Stations were winners at East Midlands Trains Best Station Awards.

Ambergate took first prize for Most Improved Station, Cromford was the winner of the Environment Award and Belper runner up in the Community Partnership category.

These awards recognise the fantastic range of work that has taken place to improve the Derwent Valley Stations, through the combined efforts of station adopters, community groups, Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership and East Midlands Trains.

Belper’s Community Partnership award is in recognition of Transition Belper’s fantastic community gardening and new Tile Mosaic and Station Art Gallery. These projects have been coordinated and delivered by Transition Belper, working in partnership with local schools and members of the community, Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership, East Midlands Trains, Network Rail, and Belper Town Council.

Councillor Irene Ratcliffe, Chair of the Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership said:

“I am very pleased that the effort of our station adopters and local communities has been recognised with these awards.  They have carried out a tremendous amount of work to make the stations a wonderful part of the communities they serve. The stations play an increasingly important role in the local economy of the Derwent Valley.”

The Belper art project, environmental improvements at Cromford and a school art project at Whatstandwell station have also been shortlisted for awards at the National Community Rail Awards, taking place in October.

Neil Micklethwaite, Customer Experience and Commercial Director for East Midlands Trains, said:

“We’ve seen some fantastic improvements to stations on the Derwent Valley Line, which is down to the support of our station staff, the Community Rail Partnership and our excellent team of volunteers.  These awards are really well deserved and our congratulations go to everybody involved in making these stations welcoming and attractive for our customers.”

East Midlands Trains Best Station Awards celebrate the best of the company’s 89 stations and were made by a panel of judges comprising East Midlands Trains’ directors and senior managers and representation from Passenger Focus.