Representatives from the GM Ringway Association (GMRA) took part in Community Rail Week this month, a campaign designed to showcase grass roots projects which help improve rail accessibility and connect communities. With many of the GM Ringway’s stages being located close to local rail interchanges, the GMRA were invited to take part in the initiative, which included the opportunity to a host a GMRA exhibition stand on Piccadilly Station’s busy concourse.

Four of the GMRA’s Stage Guardians manned the exhibition space and shared information with members of the public about the GM Ringway trail, including how every stage start and finish point can be reached via public transport. The GMRA team also took the opportunity to network with other community groups with strong links to the north west’s rail network, including some promoting walking routes starting at railway stations which complement the GM Ringway trail.

We further got to strengthen our relationship with key commercial partners such as Northern Rail – the rail operator which helps to fund a range of Community Rail activities in and around Greater Manchester – and highlighted how the GMRA can support the objectives of the wider Community Rail programme.

Feedback from the Stage Guardians who managed the GMRA stand was very positive, and it was great to be involved with the project.

For more information on the national Community Rail scheme, and the work of Community Rail Partnerships, go here.

For more information on regional Community Rail projects and programmes supported by Northern Rail, go here.