Station Friends “on track” for more national rail awards
The Friends of Buxton Station (FoBS) are very excited to announce that their efforts have been rewarded once again after being shortlisted for three of next year’s Community Rail Network’s National Awards.
FoBS showed they are still “on the right track” when selected as one of the best rail voluntary groups in the country; incredibly, this is the nineth time the Buxton group has been put forward for at least three awards, all in consecutive years.
The shortlist announcement is particularly special for the volunteers as it falls in a double-anniversary year. The Awards are celebrating 20 years of showcasing inspiring initiatives from across community rail as the wider railway industry concludes celebrating 200 years since the birth of modern railways.
The group’s shortlisted project focused on:
- Community Creative projects & Station Arts - working with local partners to help conserve the Bilberry bumblebee, a rare and endangered bee found around Buxton;
- Railway200 Legacy – including work to recognise Buxton’s Chinese-heritage England footballing pioneer, Frank Soo and local environmental campaigner, Günther Zuntz; and
- It’s Your Station at the Heart of the community - the group have been recognised for their work outside the station environment, particularly their role in helping highlight environmental concerns in collaborations with other community volunteers.
This recognition comes on the back of the group’s triumphant wins in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025, when they walked away with the top honours. These are just some of their many successes, including the prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Service, granted in June 2021.
David Carlisle, Chairman of FoBS explained: "The whole group are pleased to be short-listed once again. We are immensely proud of our station and our voluntary work in the wider Buxton community.”
Adding: “For the nineth consecutive year, we have entered the rarefied atmosphere of being shortlisted in at least three different categories. That’s thirty-nine times in total! No other similar group in the country has done that, so we must be doing something right.”
Finally: “It is recognition not just for us, but for those who work with or support us – including Northern Trains Limited, Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, Buxton Town Team, Buxton Civic Association, Network Rail and the High Peak & Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership."
Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “2025 is a very special year for community rail and we’re delighted to see so many inspiring award entries showcasing amazing people, projects and initiatives from across our growing, grassroots movement.”
“Huge congratulations to FoBS for being shortlisted. We’re looking forward to joining them to celebrate their hard work, positivity and dedication at our Awards evening in Derby, the new home Great British Railways in March.”
The National Community Rail Awards recognise the important, but often unsung work carried out by community rail partnerships and station adoption groups like FoBS, who provide a welcome social and economic contribution, with their activities, to their communities.
There are more than 75 community rail partnerships and 1,300 station friends volunteer groups across Britain.
The winners will be announced at a high-profile Awards Ceremony at Derby Arena on Thursday 19 March 2026.
Further details from Friends of Buxton Station at [email protected]. Alternatively follow FoBS on Facebook, where there are copyright-free photographs of all of the projects mentioned