As the first group in the country to adopt a local railway station, Friends of Handforth Station recently held a party to mark their 20th birthday.
Friends were joined for the celebrations by representatives of Cheshire East Council and local councillors. Amongst the special guests were Northern's Regional Director Liam Sumpter, John Reville Irish Rail Passenger Services Manager and Paul Salveson one of the founder members of the Association of Community Rail Partnership (ACORP).
Referring to the way Friends of Handforth Station have improved usage of the station, inspired so many other friends groups to start and used art displays to make the station different, Paul Salveson, from ACORP said "Handforth leads the way".
Northern Regional Director, Liam Sumpter said "Over the years, FoHS has delivered a wide range of creative projects to transform the station, making it a more welcoming place for customers and staff alike. Their efforts have undoubtedly helped attract more people to use Handforth's train services, putting the station at the heart of the community and the wider village firmly on the map. Congratulations to FoHS for a truly remarkable twenty years and I look forward to working with the group throughout the current Northern franchise."
