Working together to maximise the benefits of the railway to the local community.
We work in partnership so local communities can get directly involved in improving the railway environment and services they use.
There are nine Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) across Scotland. The newest member of the CRP Community in Scotland is the Far North Line CRP which was designated by the Minister for Transport for Scotland in May 2023.
The Borders Railway Community Partnership covers the ten stations on the Borders Railway from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank.
Some recent projects the group has delivered include the installation of plaques along the line to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the “Jellicoe Express”, named after Admiral John Rushworth Jellicoe, former commander of the British Grand Fleet, which took naval personnel on a 22 hour-journey between London Euston and Thurso to transfer to the British Fleet in Scapa Flow.
Another project was a Travelling Classroom rail safety project with Stobhill Primary School.
Contact Details
If you’d like more details on our activities, please contact us:
The East Lothian Community Rail Partnership covers the eight stations from Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick and Dunbar.
A recent partnership with Musselburgh Golf Club means all junior members of the club now get a rail safety message supported by the CRP and signs have been placed around the course to remind all players about the importance of safety.
The group also recently installed a memorial planter at North Berwick station, dedicated to a former secretary and founding member of the East Lothian CRP.
Priorities are to improve:
- Sustainable and equal access options to train stations
- Create awareness and promote East Lothian by rail
- Station environments, facilities and rail operations
To find out more about current projects and activities:
The West Highland Community Rail Partnership covers the West Highland Line from Crianlarich to Mallaig.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct draws worldwide interest due to its connection with the Harry Potter films and the CRP and have worked with partners to improve the viewing area.
Other initiatives include: A play “A brief Encounter” that has been performed at stations along the West Highland line and a complete rework of a Ciscerone walking guide for the West Highlands.
A competition for school pupils was held to mark the 125th anniversary of the West Highland Line. Winners have their poster, photograph and story on display at Fort William station.
Links and contact details:
The Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership covers eight rural station communities from Dunkeld & Birnam to Carrbridge – including six stations within the Cairngorms National Park.
The CRP encourages community participation in the railway. It aims to preserve the heritage of this Victorian line and promote rail usage, sustainable transport and rural connectivity by promoting the environment, culture and heritage of the local areas to visitors, improving conditions at stations, and local and national awareness of the railway.
The “Travelling Classroom” project, initiated just before Covid lockdown in 2020, is now ready to get back on track, all 8 Primary schools close to the HML have been gifted educational resource boxes and “Blether Bags” and we look forward to 2024 and being able to take some of the children out on their first train journeys.
Community groups are busy at Dunkeld & Birnam and Blair Atholl with ambitious projects and plans, indeed Friends of Blair Atholl Station have embarked on their Heritage Lottery funded Intergenerational project and there is ongoing community engagement & consultation with all stakeholders at Dunkeld & Birnam,.and HML CRP welcomed “The Railway Rooms" at Kingussie as another wonderful asset on the Highland Main line.
John Wilson Scotrail; Dr Viviene Cree Friends of Blair Atholl Station; and Sally Spaven Chair of the Highland Mainline Rail Partnership
Heritage Projects include the restoration of the “Monty” plaque at Dalwhinnie Railway Station and the MacFarlane fountain at Pitlochry, and currently underway, is the restoration of PT21, the oldest Semaphore signal at Pitlochry Station and discussions about the 160-year-old clock at Dalwhinnie. Both these projects are being assisted by the National Railway Heritage Trust.
We remain positive that our efforts to promote rail travel are working as 5 of our 8 stations are now showing passenger numbers higher than they were pre-Covid.
The CRP completed the Community Rail in the City event at London Kings Cross station in May 2019, known as “Highland Fling”. The event aimed to raise awareness that travel between London and the Scottish Highlands is possible with one train.
Links and contact details:
The South West Scotland Community Rail Partnership covers 17 stations from Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Gretna Green.
The CRP promotes rail use by working with local events, festivals and fetes to encourage visitors to travel there by train. It wants to ensure the Stranraer to Ayr line is a sustainable railway serving the geographical area and communities it connects. Via community involvement, education and information, it aims to protect the environment around – and promote the culture and heritage of – the districts the line runs through.
The CRP most recently completed a project to improve parking at Barrhill station creating extra car parking at the station.
They are currently working on bringing two rooms at Girvan station back into community use.
Contact details
The Strathallan Community Rail Partnership covers Gleneagles, Dunblane and Bridge of Allan.
The CRP is working to improve integrated transport between Crieff and Stirling, with a bus connection at Gleneagles or Dunblane. It aims to bring vacant rooms back into use at Gleneagles station for community projects.
They have also recently produced five walking guides for walks along their line. These include Dunblane to Ashfield Riverside and Bridge Of Allan to Dunblane via Gallow Hill - all five can be downloaded from their website.
Contact details:
The Rail74 Community Rail Partnership covers the six stations between Rutherglen and Hamilton Central including Hamilton West, Newton, Cambuslang and Blantyre.
The CRP tackles issues such as social inclusion and anti-social behaviour. It encourages young people to become more physically active and more involved in their communities. Their proudest achievement to date is the totem pole at Hamilton West station, a project completed in "virtual" partnership with three community groups.
In October 2018, Rail74 in partnership with Grow 73, unveiled a mural which celebrated Rutherglen’s history. This project commissioned two local artists to design a mural which would reflect Rutherglen’s impressive local heritage and make the station entrance a more welcoming and brighter place. Stories were gathered during sessions with local schools and care homes led by a storyteller and with input from the Auld Rutherglen Facebook group and the Heritage Centre at Rutherglen Library.
Links and contact details:
They're the first youth Community Rail Partnership and their aim is to promote rail safety, particularly because the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow has recently been electrified.
The CRP gives young people a voice, and an opportunity to become ambassadors in their sphere of influence. This covers around 28 stations from Edinburgh Park and North Queensferry to Kirknewton, Tweedbank, North Berwick and Dunbar.
Projects have included a supported train journey to North Queensferry, specifically for young adults with additional needs. The Youth CRP members supported their peers to make the journey, learning how to purchase tickets, travel safely and what to do if they felt vulnerable. After the journey they completed quiz sheets to consolidate their new knowledge.
Their latest project saw young parents being taught about using trains safely when travelling with prams and buggies. This included a classroom session and a train trip to put into practice what the parents had learned. The event was considered to be a great success and 6VT look forward further projects to promote safety on the railway.
Links and Contact details
The Far North Line covers the 19 stations between Fearn which is around 35 miles north of Inverness, and Thurso, the most northern station in Scotland. They were designated by the then Minister for Transport, Kevin Stewart MSP at a Parliamentary Reception on 24 May 2023. As the newest Scottish CRP, they have recently launched their website which showcases the attractions and facilities accessible from each of the stations.
