When Three Community Rail Partnerships Collide

When I first joined the Wales and borders Community Rail family, Josie, the Community Rail Officer (CRO) for 3 Counties Connected Community Rail Partnership (CRP), invited me to collaborate with Owen, the CRO for the Heart of Wales Line CRP. We all share Shrewsbury as one of our stations, so it made perfect sense to team up. I jumped at the chance, and last Tuesday we held our second planning meeting in Shrewsbury railway station.

During our previous meeting, we sketched out the broad structure of our joint project. This time, we toured the actual space the Station Manager has kindly offered us: a spacious waiting room on Platform 3. As a regular traveller through Shrewsbury, I’d never even noticed this room before. Its Victorian architecture, high ceilings, and abundant natural light make it a truly inspiring blank canvas.

Once Josie, Owen, and I stepped inside, creativity exploded and there were lots of ideas flying about:

●      Capturing local history through community-led murals

●      Hosting pop-up workshops with Shrewsbury arts groups

●      Showcasing collaborative pieces from Heart of Wales and 3 Counties Connected communities

●      Integrating interactive elements that celebrate the station’s heritage

We realised there’s potential for more than just a one-off display. We’re envisioning an ongoing relationship between the station, local artists, and communities along both lines.

This will start next April and if you’re a group or creative collective based in Shrewsbury and would like to be involved contact any of us:

1. Josie Rayworth, CRO 3 Counties Connected josie.rayworth@3countiesconnected.org.uk

2. Owen Griffkin, CRO Heart of Wales Line owen.griffkin@heart-of-wales.co.uk

3. Deb Justice, Cambrian Railway Partnership hello@thecambrianline.co.uk

Let’s turn Shrewsbury’s hidden waiting room into a vibrant hub of community art and storytelling.