Volunteers have contributed almost 48,000 hours helping transform ScotRail stations and strengthen links with communities across Scotland during the past year.
Through ScotRail’s Adopt a Station programme, 214 stations across the country are now supported by local groups and volunteers who give their time to make stations more welcoming places for customers and communities.
From restoring overgrown gardens and creating new wildlife habitats to installing colourful planters and celebrating local heritage, 1,054 volunteers have contributed 47,916 hours in the past 12 months to bring new life to station spaces across the ScotRail network.
The Adopt a Station programme brings together community groups, schools, charities, and other local organisations to collaborate with ScotRail, with volunteers helping to care for stations throughout the year and develop projects which reflect the areas and the communities they serve.
At Aberdour in Fife, the station gardens have become a focal point for residents and visitors since being adopted by Aberdour Community Council through the Aberdour Heritage Centre and Station Gardens in 2014.
Around 25 volunteers are involved, alongside young people completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, local school pupils, people newly settled in the community, and employees taking part in volunteering days.
Recent improvements have included new barrel planters and hanging baskets, the replanting of terraces with shrubs and flowers to support pollinating insects, and the introduction of bird boxes and insect hotels. The gardens are complemented by the village Heritage Centre in the former Victorian station building.
At Kirkconnel in Dumfries and Galloway, members of the 1st Kelloholm Guide Group have transformed a previously neglected area of the station where the old station office and house once stood.
The Guides and community helpers have cleared overgrown vegetation, created raised beds and a pebble path, planted wildflowers, and installed tubs and bespoke planters. Recycled materials have also been used to create decorations, while a rainwater supply has been introduced to help maintain the planting.
Volunteers at Helensburgh Upper have turned an overgrown station garden into a colourful space designed to support biodiversity.
Work has included clearing brambles and self-seeded trees, planting low-maintenance shrubs, creating a dead hedge from cut branches, and installing a bird box and bee hotel made from recycled materials. Old fibreglass boxes at the station have also been repurposed as raised flower beds.
Further north at the end of the Speyside Way, Friends of Newtonmore recently took on the challenge of transforming the entrance to Newtonmore station.
Four volunteers spent around 60 hours clearing two large fir trees, an overgrown juniper bush, and other vegetation which had hidden a long-forgotten planter. More than 30 builders’ bags of waste were removed with support from the local shinty club.
The group has since created a raised bed, introduced colourful barrels and new planting, restored the station’s train planter and improved the surrounding gravel area, with support from local people, businesses, and organisations.
Across Scotland, adopters continue to develop new projects and build on existing work, helping ensure stations are places local communities can take pride in.
Paul McKay, ScotRail communications director, said: “Scotland’s Railway is at the heart of the communities it serves, and our station adopters play an important part in making that connection even stronger.
“The time, care, and enthusiasm volunteers put into their local stations is incredible. Whether they are creating colourful gardens, supporting biodiversity, celebrating local heritage, or simply making a station a more welcoming place, their work makes a real difference for our customers.
“With 214 stations now part of the programme and volunteers contributing 48,000 hours in the past year, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who gives their time to support their local railway.”
Image credit: ScotRail
