Already involved with your local station or line, or want to start?

Volunteers can make local and regional railways more attractive, more welcoming and better used. By getting involved, you can meet new people, learn new skills and create a railway that makes your town proud.

Visit these pages of the toolkit for case studies and tips on how to make it happen:

• Art and gardening projects at stations
• Promoting your line
• Passenger surveys and non-rail-user research

We also have a page where you can learn about how the rail industry works. Another extremely useful resource is the Station Adoption guide by the UK’s Association of Community Rail Partnerships.

Finally, check out the online forum for the “community rail” sector, the Community Rail Cafe. It’s free to sign up, and is a good place to ask advice and to get ideas for new projects.

In the UK, a good first point of contact is your local Station Manager. You can get their contact details from posters displayed at the station. Also, see if your line has a Community Rail Partnership. If so, contact them.

Volunteering at stations is something that hasn’t traditionally been done in France. However, you could try contacting Gares et Connexions via their website.

Volunteering at stations is something that hasn’t traditionally been done in Germany. However, you could try contacting either the station manager, the transport authority (for example Aachener Verkehrsverbund if you live in Aachen) or the council’s transport team.

In the Netherlands, contact your local council or NS Stations regarding projects at stations, or speak to the local train operator if you are interested in your whole line.