The Cam Valley Community Rail Partnership works to connect people with their local railway and the places it serves, promoting sustainable travel, enhancing station environments, and showcasing the Cam Valley as a place to visit, live and work.
The Cam Valley Community Rail Partnership works closely with a wide range of partners, including Greater Thameslink Railway, Greater Anglia, Network Rail, local authorities, schools, community groups and local businesses. By bringing these partners together, we combine local knowledge, resources and expertise to deliver projects that enhance stations, improve access to rail and celebrate the unique character of the line and its surrounding communities.
Through this collaborative approach, the partnership supports a diverse programme of initiatives, from education and art schemes to travel promotion and environmental improvements. These projects encourage greater use of the railway while helping to ensure it continues to play a central role in the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the Cam Valley.
By connecting people to rail, we help reduce car use, support local economies, and make it easier for people to explore the Cam Valley sustainably.
Read more about our Community Projects
What is Community Rail?
Community rail is a unique and growing grassroots movement made up of 78 community rail partnerships (locally-based community organisations), 1,300 station volunteer groups, and other community-led initiatives across Britain, engaging and empowering communities, and helping them get the most from their railways.
Community rail promotes social inclusion and access to opportunity, sustainable travel and tourism, health and wellbeing, and local economic development. This involves working with train operators, the wider rail and transport sector, local authorities, educators and community partners, to spearhead locally-led projects connected with rail, bring improvements to rail services and stations, and help communities have a voice on rail and transport.
Community Rail Network WebsiteWhat the CRP does
Our work is guided by the four core principles of Community Rail, bringing together rail partners, local communities and organisations to create a railway that works for everyone.
- Providing a Voice for the Community
- Working with rail industry partners on infrastructure projects such as level crossing improvements and future developments including Cambridge South.
- Representing local priorities and feedback from communities along the line in discussions with train operators.
- Engaging local businesses through our regular partnership meetings to ensure the railway supports the local economy.
- Promoting Sustainable and Healthy Travel
- Supporting walking and cycling links such as the Meldreth Station Link path, connecting communities safely to the railway.
- Creating tourism initiatives like local trails and station-based information boards to encourage car-free visits to the Cam Valley.
- Supporting rail-based access to key destinations including Cambridge, employment hubs, and healthcare facilities such as Addenbrooke’s.
- Bringing Communities Together, Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
- Working with schools through Travel Ambassador programmes and rail safety initiatives, helping young people build confidence using the railway.
- Coordinating community projects such as station gardening, wildflower planting, and bulb schemes, involving volunteers of all ages.
- Delivering public art and community installations, including collaborative projects like murals and displays along station routes.
- Supporting Social and Economic Development
- Promoting local businesses through rail-linked tourism, including pubs, cafes and attractions within walking distance of stations.
- Supporting initiatives like the Rail & Ale Trail, encouraging visitors to explore villages along the line.
- Helping secure funding for station improvements, accessibility enhancements, and community-led projects that benefit both residents and visitors.
Our code of conduct
At the Steering Group Meeting on 19th November 2019, the Code of Conduct developed by Women in Community Rail was formally adopted by the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership.
Would you like to volunteer?
Contact us to find out how you can get involved and support your local stations.
Explore the Cam Valley’s chalk streams
The Cam Valley is home to rare chalk streams: globally scarce habitats fed by clear, mineral-rich groundwater that supports a rich variety of wildlife. Flowing through our local landscape, these streams are vital for species such as water voles, kingfishers and brown trout, and are an important part of the area’s natural heritage. Through our work, we highlight the value of these fragile ecosystems, encouraging people to discover, enjoy and help protect them for future generations.
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The History of Rail in the Cam Valley
The railways of the Cam Valley have played a vital role in shaping local communities, linking rural villages with Cambridge and beyond for over 175 years. Through interpretation, community projects and station enhancements, we work with partners and communities to celebrate the area's history while promoting its continued relevance.
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