CRP Prospectus

Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership Prospectus 2025 - 2027

Newton-le-WillowsHalewoodEcclesLiverpoolSouthParkwayTraffordParkHuntsCrossUrmstonWavertreeTechn ParkManchesterVictoriaHumphreyParkFlixtonChassenRoadBirchwoodBroadGreenMossleyHillStHelensJunc PatricroftRobyEdgeHillDeansgateGlazebrookWarringtonCentralManchesterOxfordRoadHuytonLiverpoolLime tPadgateRainhillEarlestownWestAllertonWarringtonWestWhistonManchesterPiccadillyIrlamHoughGreenLe GreenEdgehillOxfordRoadPadgateWavertreeTechnologyParkEdgeHillRobyHuytonWhistonRainhillLeaGreenSt sJunctionEarlestownNewton-le-WillowsPatricroftEcclesSalfordCentralManchesterOxfordRoadManchesterP LiverpoolLimeStreetLeaGreenMossleyHillWestAllertonStHelensJunctionHalewoodHoughGreenWidnesWarr

Who are we?

The Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership connects two major cities along two historic railway routes: the world’s first steampowered intercity passenger line, the Chat Moss Line, opened in 1830, and the later-developed Cheshire Lines Committee route. The Chat Moss Line transformed transport, trade and travel, setting a global example for railway systems. Its construction also caused lasting environmental damage, especially to the peatlands and wetlands of Chat Moss.

In 2025, the Community Rail Partnership enters a formal accreditation phase led by Manchester Histories. This will coincide with Rocket: All Aboard, a major programme running from 2025 to 2030 that marks the 200th anniversary of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway.

Rocket: All Aboard is being developed with partners including Liverpool City Council, Culture Liverpool, Manchester City Council, Manchester Histories, Metal, National Museums Liverpool, Network Rail, Northern, Salford City Council, the Science and Industry Museum, St Helens Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the University of Liverpool. It will explore the story of the world’s first intercity passenger railway, looking at its past, present and future.

The Chat Moss Line runs through 15 stations between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria. The Cheshire Line includes 24 stations. Both routes are supported by dedicated Station Friends and Adopter groups in places such as Eccles, Rainhill, Glazebrook, Irlam and Padgate. These local volunteers lead a wide range of projects including planting, public art, heritage displays and welcome initiatives. At Irlam Station, this work has created a flagship space that blends railway heritage with environmental learning, wellbeing and community pride.

The Community Rail Partnership and Rocket: All Aboard are closely linked. They share not just a railway line but a common goal: to use the legacy of the railway to spark cultural activity, support communities and tackle challenges such as climate change, biodiversity and inclusive travel.

These volunteer groups are at the heart of the Community Rail Partnership.

Their passion shows how local action can connect people with their environment, history and each other.

The Community Rail Partnership was created through collaboration between the Hamilton Davies Trust, Salford City Council, Warrington Borough Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It is also supported by rail industry partners including Northern, TransPennine Express and Network Rail. Manchester Histories acts as the CRP’s accountable body and continues to support its development.

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Our Vision The Liverpool - Manchester Community Rail Partnership (CRP) will connect people and places along the historic railway corridor between Liverpool and Manchester. It will:

• Connecting communities & places • Celebrating culture & heritage

Bring people together in a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable network that respects the railway’s past, supports communities today and helps shape a more connected future.

• Supporting inclusive, sustainable travel

Work with community groups, environmental charities, arts and heritage organisations and health and wellbeing networks, to support projects that reflect local priorities.

• Building strong, lasting partnerships • Encouraging biodiversity

Promote inclusive and sustainable travel and use the railway as a platform for positive social, environmental and cultural change.

Work alongside local groups, recognising their knowledge, their commitment and the ongoing energy they bring to their projects. It will support ideas, build momentum and help turn community ambitions into action. In doing so, it will help create a lasting sense of connection, creativity and pride along the route.

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Our Stations The Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership covers two historic and strategically important railway routes. Together, they serve a wide range of communities along the corridor.

The Chat Moss Line and the Cheshire Lines Committee route include 38 stations, linking city centres, suburbs and rural areas.

Chat Moss Line (West to East) Liverpool Lime Street - Edge Hill - Wavertree Technology Park Broad Green - Roby - Huyton - Whiston - Rainhill Lea Green - St Helens Junction - Earlestown Newton-le-Willows - Patricroft - Eccles - Manchester Victoria

These stations sit at the heart of the CRP’s work. They act as gateways to local places, heritage and culture, and create opportunities for community involvement, environmental improvements and accessible travel.

The next section shows the stations served on each line.

Cheshire Lines Commitee (West to East) Liverpool Lime Street - Edgehill - Mossley Hill - West Allerton Liverpool South Parkway - Hunts Cross - Halewood Hough Green - Widnes - Sankey for Penketh - Warrington West Warrington Central - Padgate - Birchwood - Glazebrook - Irlam Flixton - Chassen Rd Urmston - Humphrey Park - Trafford Park -

Deansgate - Manchester Oxford Road - Manchester Piccadilly

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Chat Moss Line Cheshire Lines Committee Chat Moss Whiston

Roby

Earlestown

Lea Green

Patricroft

Eccles

Manchester Rainhill

Huyton

St Helens Junction

Newton-le -Willows

Manchester Victoria

Broad Green Manchester Piccadilly Wavertree Technology Park Edge Hill Mossley Hill

Liverpool Lime Street

Liverpool to Manchester Railways

Manchester Oxford Road Deansgate Trafford Park

West Allerton Liverpool South Parkway

Humphrey Park Sankey for Penketh

Halewood

Liverpool Hunts Cross

Hough Green

Widnes

Warrington Central

Warrington West

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Urmston Birchwood

Padgate

Glazebrook

Irlam

Flixton Chassen Road

CRP Development

Initial priorities include:Estab

The Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership is being developed to support inclusive, long-term community rail activity across the entire corridor. This approach reflects both the scale and diversity of the route and the need to build strong and lasting foundations for working in partnership.

• Establishing CRP governance structures, branding, and partnership frameworks in line with Community Rail Network (CRN) accreditation requirements

In the initial period, activity will be shaped by available funding, local capacity and strategic partnerships, particularly those linked to Rocket: All Aboard. The pace and scale of delivery may differ from place to place, but the Community Rail Partnership is committed to making sure every community along the route has a chance to be involved and to benefit from its development.

• Aligning the CRP’s activities with Rocket: All Aboard bicentenary events to maximise reach and impact • Supporting Friends Groups and local initiatives with training, visibility, and coordination • Delivering station-based activity in areas where capacity, partnerships and resources support early action, while inviting all communities across the corridor to shape and contribute to the CRP’s development

The Community Rail Partnership aims to keep all engagement community-led, strategic and sustainable.

It wants to enable genuine participation and shared ownership across the full route. This corridor-wide approach will guide the development of an inclusive Community Rail Strategy by 2027.

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People and Places

The Liverpool to Manchester railway corridor has always been more than a transport link. It has also been a space for community activity, creativity and collaboration.

Along the route, from city neighbourhoods to smaller towns, local people have led projects that connect their communities to the railway in meaningful ways.

These include volunteer-run station partnerships, environmental schemes, arts programmes, educational projects and heritage trails. Together, they have created a strong base of engagement.

Stations have benefited from community-led improvements such as gardens, public art and youth projects. Schools, charities, cultural groups and local councils have worked together on initiatives that promote access, sustainability and inclusive travel.

These efforts have built strong relationships and shown the value of the railway as a shared public space. The Community Rail Partnership will help bring these activities together, building on what already exists to deliver greater social, environmental and economic impact along the route.

The following pages highlight just a few examples of the brilliant work already happening across the Liverpool to Manchester lines.

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Irlam

Eccles

Photograph provided by FIRST

Irlam Station has been transformed into a thriving community hub through the efforts of the Hamilton Davies Trust and local volunteers. The restored Victorian station now features a heritage centre, café, gardens and public art celebrating the area’s industrial past. It also houses a rare Midland Railway 2A signal box and a growing collection of railway artefacts.

The Friends of Irlam Station (FIRST) bring the space to life through school visits, free “Craft in the Box” art sessions and afternoon teas with the café/bar. The station is now more than a heritage site – it’s an active, welcoming space for the whole community.

A £5.7 million accessibility upgrade, including new lifts, was completed in May 2025.`

Patricroft

Photograph provided by FRECCLES

Eccles station has become a vibrant community hub through the dedicated efforts of the Friends Of Eccles Station (FRECCLES). Their initiatives include extensive station forecourt and platform gardening, including formal beds and planters.

They have collaborated with schools and artists on arts projects, highlighting local heritage and community identity using posters and murals. FRECCLES also engages with many other local community groups and with train operators to improve services, creating a station that reflects local pride and involvement.

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Photograph provided by FRoPs

Patricroft Station has been shaped by the Friends of Patricroft Station (FrOPS), who have delivered projects including heritage murals and edible planting with Incredible Edible Salford They have also done oral history projects and guided community walks in partnership with the Friends of Eccles Station.

Their programme has transformed the station into a space for environmental learning, storytelling and celebration, with regular events and volunteering that bring people together.

Rainhill

Newton-le-Willows

Photograph by Radka Dolinska

October 2029 marks the 200th anniversary of the Rainhill Locomotive Trials, a world-changing event in railway history. To celebrate, two linked community initiatives are underway.

The Rainhill Trials 200 (RT200) group is leading a wide-ranging programme of events and improvements, including public art, planting schemes and heritage activities. They hope to create a new visitor centre with an immersive digital experience to mark the legacy of the Trials.

Alongside this, Trainhill Trust CIC aims to refurbish part of Rainhill Station to house a permanent exhibition of artefacts from the Rainhill Railway & Heritage Society, previously displayed in a rail carriage beside the now-closed library.

Newton-le-Willows station has benefited from a £19 million upgrade alongside strong community involvement through a local Neighbourhood Board, school programmes, and heritage and environmental activities.

This spirit of collaboration is reflected in “Queer Eutopia”, a mural by artists Emma Colbert and Leo Soph Welton, created with LGBTQIA+ young people through workshops led by Heart of Glass.

Installed at the station, the artwork celebrates queer joy, solidarity, and the power of community to shape more welcoming public spaces.

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Glazebrook

Photograph provided by FRoGs

Established in 2022, the Friends of Glazebrook Station (FRoGS) have created positive change through environmental and creative projects. Supported by Northern, TfGM, the Railway Heritage Trust, the Hamilton Davies Trust and local partners, they’ve organised clean-up days, a mosaic workshop to reduce social isolation and started a community garden and orchard.

In 2023, they celebrated the station’s 150th anniversary with a community event and heritage photo exhibition, shortlisted for a Community Rail Award. FRoGS has also won the Cheshire Best Kept Stations Award two years in a row, highlighting the station’s transformation into a vibrant, inclusive community space.

Earlestown

Edgehill

St Helens Junction

Earlestown Station is now the focus of a major regeneration programme. Led by St Helens Borough Council with ECF and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the project will restore the Grade II-listed building and transform the station into a modern, accessible gateway and community asset.

Edge Hill Station, the world’s oldest active passenger station, has been transformed

by Metal Liverpool into a hub for creativity, learning, and community connection.

Hosting residencies, exhibitions, performances, and a community garden, it plays a key role in Rocket: All Aboard, the Liverpool to Manchester CRP and local sustainability initiatives.

St Helens Junction is a historic station where volunteers and local partners regularly contribute to maintaining and enhancing the environment through litterpicks and upkeeps.

Metal-led projects include “Sweat the Small Stuff, a public art trail exploring climate action and sustainable travel, and “Planting and Placemaking”, which reimagines railway gardens as spaces for biodiversity, community growing, and connection to nature and heritage.

Plans for public artwork are currently underway, celebrating the area’s heritage and character through creative collaboration. These contributions reflect the ongoing commitment of local people to care for and animate the station through art and everyday action.

Plans include step-free access, public realm improvements, and new uses for the historic station building such as a café, heritage hub, or community space. These enhancements support wider town centre renewal and create opportunities for local groups, schools, and artists to contribute to heritage displays, events and 2030 bicentenary celebrations.

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Their work helps ensure the station remains a clean, welcoming space for passengers and the local community.

Lea Green

Huyton

Padgate

Photograph provided by thr Friends of Padgate Station

Lea Green Station is currently being transformed through a major investment as part of the St Helens Southern Gateway project. New facilities including a multi-storey car park, improved ticketing, retail space, and upgraded walking and cycling access are positioning it as a key transport hub for the borough.

As part of the redevelopment, plans are in place to install artwork that reflects local identity and heritage, with opportunities for schools and community groups to co-create content. The redevelopment will also support biodiversity with bird boxes, pollinator planting and habitat features, alongside potential for heritage interpretation and community-led environmental activity.

Opened in 1873 and now a Grade I listed building, Padgate Station has a rich local history, including wartime links to nearby RAF Padgate. By 2016, the station had become rundown, prompting local residents to form the Friends of Padgate Station.

Since then, volunteers have led a striking transformation, organising regular litter picks, maintaining planters, and commissioning murals and wildflower planting . With support from the wider community, Padgate has grown into a creative and inclusive space.

Padgate Station has also won multiple Cheshire Best Kept Station awards .

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Photograph provided by Heart of Glass

Huyton Station has become a space for creativity and connection through the work of local residents, artists, and Merseysidebased arts organisation Heart of Glass, who have adopted the station. Known for bringing art into everyday spaces, Heart of Glass partnered with artist Andrew Small to create a new sculptural installation inspired by the local community.

A pop-up photobooth invited residents to contribute portraits, which are helping to shape the final artwork - reflecting themes of movement, identity, and place. This collaboration aims to reimagine the station as more than a transit point: a place of shared stories and civic pride

Sweat the Small Stuff Alongside grassroots projects and local station initiatives, the Liverpool to Manchester railway corridor has also been home to larger collaborations involving artists, educators, environmental groups and local communities. These projects have helped reimagine railway spaces as places for climate action, cultural expression and care for the environment.

Initiatives such as “Sweat the Small Stuff,” a public art programme raising awareness of climate change, “Planting and Placemaking,” which explores the social and ecological value of railway gardens, and a coalition of partners working to create a Nature Reserve at Chat Moss, all show how the line can be more than a route between cities. It can be a shared landscape where people come together to create, protect and connect.

‘Sweat the Small Stuff’ was a landmark public art project developed by Metal Liverpool in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and local station communities, with support from the Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership. Launched in 2024, the project invited early-career graphic designers and illustrators to creatively respond to one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: climate change. The 1.5 Degrees project team consisted of: Ana Ortuno Floria, Puja Varia, Kira Whyte, Owen Rutland, Alyssia Thorburn, Harry Urand, Chris Jackson (Senior Lecturer, Graphic Design and Illustration, Liverpool John Moores University), and Stef Bradley (Interim Senior Project Manager, Metal Liverpool).

Through a series of research sessions, workshops, and community conversations, the participating students developed a collection of striking artworks exploring themes of energy, sustainability, and innovation, rooted in the legacy of the Liverpool to Manchester railway as the world’s first passenger line. These designs were installed across seven stations along the Chat Moss and Cheshire Lines Committee routes: Edge Hill, Huyton, Roby, Urmston, Eccles, Patricroft and Irlam.

The stations became open-air galleries, where vibrant posters prompted reflection on how everyday choices, like taking the train, can contribute to a more sustainable future. The artworks acted as visual interventions and conversation starters, drawing attention to the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C and highlighting the role of rail as a low-carbon mode of transport.

These efforts contribute to a stronger and more joined-up vision of the railway - one shaped by community care, sustainability and shared public space.

Photograph by Greg Hodge

Photograph by Greg Hodge

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Chat Moss The Liverpool to Manchester Railway, inaugurated in 1830, revolutionised global transportation, sparking economic and social progress. Yet, this pioneering feat also had a local environmental cost, particularly for the delicate ecosystems of Chat Moss.

Though the railway itself had a minimal direct impact, it enabled extensive peat extraction and agricultural drainage, which transformed the landscape.

Over the years, these activities led to habitat loss and a decline in native species. Today, only around 310 hectares of relatively undamaged peat deposits remain, a fraction of the original 14 square miles.

Astsley Moss

Today, a coalition of partners, including the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the Greater Manchester Wetlands Partnership, Natural England, and the Hamilton Davies Trust, is leading efforts to restore what remains of Chat Moss and protect the mosaic of habitats, including peatlands, woodlands and wet woodlands that support a rich tapestry of biodiversity. Restoration projects focused on re-wetting the moss and reintroducing native species are helping to revive these diverse ecosystems, making Chat Moss a vital sanctuary for wildlife.

The developing Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership will work directly with these partners on the ground, supporting practical conservation efforts as well as engaging with communities and schools along the railway line, the CRP and the Rocket: All Aboard will raise awareness of the importance of peat bogs and wetlands both locally and nationally - celebrating them not just as vital carbon stores and biodiversity hotspots, but as living landscapes with deep cultural and historical roots.

Large Heath Butterfly - Photograph provided by Lancashire Wildlife Trust

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Planting and Placemaking Planting and Placemaking is a collaborative project developed by artist and researcher Zhuozhang Li with the support of Metal Liverpool that explores the cultural, ecological, and social value of railway gardens along the Liverpool to Manchester route. The project brings together artists, academics, local groups, and residents to reimagine station spaces as places for community care, creativity and biodiversity.

Focusing on stations including Edge Hill, Broad Green, Roby, Huyton, Newton-le-Willows, Irlam, and Urmston, the project supports the creation of welcoming green spaces that reflect local identity and promote wellbeing. Through workshops, public events, and collaborative planting, underused areas have been transformed into biodiverse environments that support pollinators, grow food and foster a deeper connection to place.

Themes such as soil health, re-use of materials, habitat creation, and storytelling have shaped the project’s approach - turning station gardens into spaces of learning, shared stewardship, and cultural reflection. These activities highlight how railway land can support sustainability, inclusion and community-led regeneration.

Photograph by Greg Hodge

Photograph by Greg Hodge

For the CRP, Planting and Placemaking demonstrates how collaborative, creative practice can enhance station environments in meaningful and lasting ways. More than beautification, these gardens represent a living expression of public ownership, ecological awareness, and the power of people to reimagine infrastructure as part of everyday life. Planting and Placemaking is a knowledge exchange project funded by the University for the Creative Arts.

Photograph by Sabrina Sallis

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Priority Projects

Governance & Accreditation

Greening the Route

Apply for Community Network Rail accreditation

Audit and improve appearance of stations Undertake a systematic audit 10-15 stations, working with Friends groups and TOCs to identify opportunities for improvement.

Actions will include:

Complete the CRP’s Terms of Reference and governance framework to support its formal application for Community Rail Network accreditation by March 2026. This will ensure alignment with CRN’s four pillars and demonstrate the CRP’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and accountable partnership working.

Steering Group meetings and Stakeholder Forums Embed a clear governance structure through regular Steering Group meetings (quarterly) and wider Stakeholder Forums (twice annually). These forums will provide space for partners, community representatives and volunteers to influence and monitor CRP delivery.

Develop and launch CRP branding Design and implement a distinctive Liverpool to Manchester CRP brand identity to support community recognition, partnership visibility, and alignment with CRN standards.

The brand will be applied consistently across CRP materials, station signage, and events, ensuring the CRP has a clear and recognisable presence that reflects its values, heritage,and communities.

• Replacing tired planters with sustainable alternatives (e.g., recycled plastic planters).

• Planting schemes using the Station Planting Schemes Guide.

• Improvements to wayfinding, tidiness and community welcome areas.

• Installation of local heritage and biodiversity-themed art and signage at 10–15 stations, reinforcing station identity and pride. Encourage co-design approaches with local schools, artists and community groups.

Revitalise larger spaces as community gardens and/or food-growing spaces Identify and develop 2–3 pilot sites suitable for community gardening/food growing projects, transforming underused spaces, supporting volunteering and social prescribing.

Volunteer training in gardening and carbon literacy Work with partners including the Carbon Literacy Trust, Shift Liverpool and GMAST Greater Manchester to deliver community training in gardening, biodiversity and carbon literacy, enabling Friends groups and local volunteers to lead sustainable station projects and promote climate action awareness.

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Biodiversity improvements at 2-3 stations Deliver targeted station biodiversity improvements, including pollinator planting, wildflower meadows, bird and bug habitats etc and interpretation signage.

Reintroduce native species at Chat Moss with Lancashire Wildlife Trust Work with Lancashire Wildlife Trust in delivering phased reintroduction programmes for the Large Heath butterfly and White Faced Darter dragonfly, alongside volunteer opportunities focused on habitat restoration.

Promote understanding of peatlands and climate action Develop a community engagement programme around the importance of peatlands and climate action using interpretation, events and educational resources such as Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM ) kits and activity boxes to engage schools, Friends groups and the wider community.

Community Arts, Culture & Heritage Develop station walks Collaborate with heritage, environmental and walking groups to create new accessible walks linked to stations, showcasing the railway’s history and local biodiversity.

Collaborate with communities schools, and partners on Rocket: All Aboard heritage and arts projects Work with community and arts organisations, artists, schools, youth groups and friends groups and station adopters along the corridor to co-develop inclusive heritage, arts and education projects as part of Rocket: All Aboard. Activities will link the railway bicentenary to contemporary themes such as STEM, arts, environmental action and community storytelling, ensuring that a diverse range of communities engage with the railway’s history, present and future.

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CRP Structures and Meetings Executive Committee (Quarterly meetings) CRP Board, which provides strategic oversight, ensures accountability, and supports alignment with Community Rail Network accreditation standards. Meeting quarterly, the Board will oversee the work of the two Steering Groups, approve key plans and budgets, and act as the central point of governance and coordination. Its members will include elected representatives, steering group representatives and stakeholder group leads, ensuring broad leadership and partnership engagement across the corridor.

Two CRP Steering Groups (Quarterly meetings)

Stakeholder Groups (Meet twice annually)

The CRP will have two Steering Groups, one for each line, to support connectivity and engagement along their routes.

Meeting quarterly, they will address local issues, bring forward ideas and feedback to the Executive Committee and contribute to the CRP’s ongoing development and planning.

This group brings together partners and organisations to discuss issues relevant to their areas of work and to support joined-up, collaborative working. Meeting twice a year, the forum promotes partnership, information sharing and alignment of activity across the corridor.

Working Groups (Task & Theme-based) The CRP will establish task and theme-based working groups as needed to progress specific projects or themes as needed. These groups will enable focused collaboration, expertise sharing and community leadership on priority areas.

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Monitoring & Evaluation The Liverpool to Manchester CRP will adopt a structured, transparent Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) process in line with the Community Rail Network Accreditation Guide, ensuring delivery is accountable, evidence-based, and reflects the needs of communities and partners.

Tracking project milestones, outputs, and outcomes: • For example, station appearance audits and improvements, biodiversity enhancements, volunteer hours, training delivered, and participation in community events.

• All activity will be logged using standard CRP reporting templates and tools.

Collecting qualitative feedback from Friends groups, volunteers, schools, and local communities: • Including through surveys, outreach sessions, and Stakeholder Forums.

• Ensuring the CRP listens, learns, and adapts based on local experiences and priorities.

Quarterly Monitoring & Evaluation reports: • Aligned to the CRP’s quarterly Steering Group meetings, • Reports will cover delivery progress, outputs, outcomes, financial position, risks, and adjustments required.

• Shared with the Steering Group and Stakeholder Forums to ensure open review and collective decision-making.

Annual Impact Report: • Summarising CRP achievements, impacts, and learning.

• Shared with CRN, Train Operating Companies (TOCs), funders, stakeholders, and community partners.

• Presented at the CRP AGM or annual review meeting, contributing to continuous improvement and informing future planning.

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Supported by

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Developing Sustainable Partnerships To support its long-term goals, the Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership will focus on building sustainable partnerships with organisations that share its values. These include promoting wellbeing, inclusion, environmental responsibility and rail as a sustainable way to travel.

The Community Rail Partnership plans to work with organisations such as Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the National Trust on biodiversity, climate action and social prescribing. It is also exploring partnerships with the Samaritans to support the rail industry’s suicide prevention work and with Dementia UK to promote dementiafriendly travel and station environments.

The Community Rail Partnership will also connect with groups that promote active travel, accessibility, rail education and community development. These partnerships will help increase rail use while delivering wider social benefits.

Its close link with the Rocket: All Aboard programme provides a unique chance to build and embed these relationships in a way that supports the Community Rail Partnership’s long-term future. The Community Rail Partnership plays an active role in Rocket: All Aboard and this shared platform will help it grow meaningful partnerships that continue well beyond the bicentenary.

By using the networks, visibility and collaborative projects created through Rocket: All Aboard, the Community Rail Partnership will be well-placed to develop lasting relationships. These will help diversify its work, reach more people and keep it rooted in community leadership for years to come.

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Railway 200

The CRP Beyond 2027 Looking beyond 2027, the Liverpool to Manchester Community Rail Partnership will continue to grow as an inclusive and collaborative force, building on trusted relationships developed through initiatives like Rocket: All Aboard.

The Railway 200 project will conclude in 2026, leaving a rich legacy that will inform and inspire future activity. From this point, Rocket: All Aboard will carry forward the momentum, drawing on the lessons and successes of Railway 200 - including the delivery of a major year-long celebration of the modern railway and the Stockton & Darlington line.

Future plans include the launch of a dedicated website and branded social media channels to strengthen the identity of the Community Rail Partnership and extend its communication reach.

A key ambition is to secure sustainable funding for a small team made up of a Community Rail Officer and a Community Rail Coordinator. This team will lead on partnership coordination, governance support, community engagement, station adoption and the delivery of meaningful local projects.

In the years leading up to the bicentenary, the CRP and Rocket: All Aboard will work to ensure that local communities are fully engaged in the celebrations - through events, storytelling projects, educational programmes, and creative initiatives that connect people to the history and future of the railway, based on the model established by Railway 200.

The Community Rail Partnership will also work with partners to improve accessibility at stations, supporting inclusive design and better wayfinding. It will collaborate with local groups and experts to help make stations more dementia-friendly.

This local leadership will ensure that the legacies of both Railway 200 and Rocket: All Aboard continue to benefit communities across the corridor, creating a platform for new partnerships, community-led projects, and inclusive engagement well beyond the anniversary itself.

In addition, the partnership will explore ways to bring disused or underused station buildings back into use as vibrant community spaces that meet local needs and reflect community aspirations.

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ORR Figures (Office of Rail and Road) 201

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Liverpool Lime Street Station, Lime Street, Liverpool L1 1JD Edge Hill Station, Tunnel Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool L7 1AD Wavertree Technology Park Station, Wavertree Avenue, Wavertree, Liverpool L13 1EG Broad Green Station, Bowring Park Road, Broad Green, Liverpool L14 3NG Roby Station, Station Road, Roby L36 4HU Huyton Station, Blacklow Brow, Huyton L36 5XE Whiston Station, Drive Way, Whiston L35 3TY Rainhill Station, Station Road, Rainhill, L35 0LL Lea Green Station, Marshalls Cross Road, St Helens WA9 3BZ St Helens Junction Station, Station Road, St Helens WA9 3LA Earlestown Station, Railway View, Earlestown WA12 9AU Newton le Willows Station, Mill Lane, Newton le Willows WA12 9SF Patricroft Station, Cromwell Road, Patricroft, Salford M30 0GX Eccles Station, St Marys Road, Eccles M30 0DN Manchester Victoria Station, Station Approach, Todd Street, Manchester M3 1WY Manchester Piccadilly Station, Piccadilly Approach, Manchester M60 7RA Manchester Oxford Road Station, Station Approach, Oxford Road, Manchester M1 6FU Manchester Deansgate Station, Whitworth Street, Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LG Trafford Park Station, Moss Road, Trafford Park, M32 1AA Humphrey Park Station, Humphrey Lane, Humphrey Park M32 9PP 21

020

16022000 162000 338000 483000 210000 640000 220000 247000 465000 200000 382000 973000 117000 197000 9571000 32199000 6366000 1323000 49220 29778

202

3/2

024

12279000 180000 249000 365000 182000 631000 207000 174000 319000 194000 302000 910000 129000 238000 7662000 25776000 5096000 1059000 38530 22822

201

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Urmston Station, Flixton Road, Urmston M41 5AW Chassen Road Station, Chassen Road, Urmston M41 9DY Flixton Station, Flixton Road, Flixton M41 6JL Irlam Station, Station Road, Irlam M44 5AB Glazebrook Station, Glazebrook Lane, Glazebrook, Warrington WA3 5BA Birchwood Station, Dewhurst Road, Birchwood, Warrington WA3 7PU Padgate Station, Station Road, Padgate WA2 0QS Warrington Central Station, Winwick Street, Warrington WA2 7TT Warrington West Station, San Diego Drive, Great Sankey, Warrington WA5 8SA Sankey for Penketh Station, Station Approach Road, Sankey WA5 1RQ Widnes Station, Victoria Avenue, Widnes WA8 7TJ Hough Green Station, Liverpool Road, Hough Green WA8 7XU Halewood Station, Hollins Lane, Halewood Liverpool L260TH Hunt’s Cross Station, Speke Road, Woolton, Liverpool L25 0NN Liverpool South Parkway Station, Woolton Road, Liverpool L19 5NE West Allerton Station, Booker Avenue, West Allerton, Liverpool L18 7HF Mossley Hill Station, Rose Lane, Liverpool L18 8AG

020

413000 57780 146000 360000 48808 600000 153000 1450000 83902 123000 457000 190000 61338 1827000 2663000 55072 157000

202

3/2

024

292000 34446 102000 237000 23972 372000 113000 1215000 332000 1362 377000 184000 59114 1424000 2018000 60878 183000

Richard Lysons, Rail Adviser for Liverpool to Manchester Lines Community Rail Partnership 2025

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Contact Paul Greenwood

Community Development Officer Manchester Histories

paul@manchesterhistories.co.uk General Enquiries: info@manchesterhistories.co.uk

ww.w.manchesterhistories.co.uk

Manchester Histories is a Registered Charity No. 1151944 23