Abellio UK and ScotRail have joined forces to support the Community Rail Awards 2018, which will be held in Scotland for the first time since they began in 2005. The annual awards ceremony will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Glasgow on Thursday 4 October 2018.

The awards celebrate the fantastic work of station adopters, community groups and volunteers in engaging communities and ensuring they can get the most from their railways and stations. They are run by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP), which is dedicated to supporting community-based groups and partnerships that connect local communities with their railway.

Today’s announcement follows on from ScotRail’s annual Station Adopter’s Volunteers Day held in Glasgow last week, which brought together 150 volunteers across Scotland to celebrate the work that they do.

The ScotRail Adopt a Station programme encourages local people to get involved in improving their local station.

Stations play an important role in communities and are often the first thing people see when they arrive in a town. More than 275 ScotRail stations across the country are now part of the programme, which has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2005.

Abellio UK Managing Director Dominic Booth said:
“Abellio and ScotRail are delighted to see the Community Rail Awards coming to Scotland for the first time. We are a long-standing supporter of community rail, so it’s great to have this opportunity to convey our thanks and gratitude to the volunteers who give up their time to make our rail network one of the best in the world. Supporting our local communities and their projects is incredibly important, as we look to deliver progress and prosperity across Scotland.

 ACoRP Chief Executive, Jools Townsend said:
“Many people aren’t aware of community rail, but it involves thousands of volunteers, and hundreds of groups, in Scotland and across Britain, striving to make a difference. Their vital work helps to make rail travel more accessible and user-friendly, promotes sustainable travel and tourism, and encourages people to take pride in their area and heritage. The inspiring entries we receive each year for the Community Rail Awards show the impact this work has on communities and people’s lives. The Awards are our flagship event, recognising the hard work and passion so many people put in to community rail. We’re excited to be taking the event to Scotland this year with Abellio and ScotRail’s support.”