The North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership works to make our local rail network a positive and practical part of everyday life across North Cheshire. From busy city stations to smaller towns and neighbourhoods, the railway plays a vital role in connecting people to work, education, businesses, green spaces, and places to explore.
Often referred to as NCCRP, the partnership brings together local communities, rail operators, councils, businesses, and volunteers. By working collaboratively, we help stations and rail routes feel more connected to the places they serve. We also help make them more useful to the people who rely on them.
Stations that feel part of the place
Stations are more than just stops on a line. They are gateways into towns, villages, and cities, and often the first impression visitors have of an area. NCCRP supports projects that help stations feel welcoming, safe, and reflective of local identity.
This can include community gardening, public art, clearer information for passengers, and better links between stations and surrounding streets, footpaths, cycle routes, and bus services. When stations connect well with their surroundings, journeys feel easier and communities feel more joined up.
Making rail an easy choice for everyday life and leisure
Rail is one of the most sustainable ways to travel, and it plays a key role in helping people move around North Cheshire without relying on the car. NCCRP works to raise awareness of affordable rail options and to show how simple it can be to reach local destinations by train.
For example, stations such as Frodsham provide access to the Sandstone Trail, opening up countryside walks and events like the Festival of Walks. Elsewhere on the network, rail links help people reach attractions such as the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port, as well as historic sites like Norton Priory.
In towns such as Runcorn, stations connect people to green spaces including Runcorn Hill Park, with views towards Halton Castle, supporting everyday wellbeing as well as leisure travel. These connections help local businesses, visitor attractions, and cafés benefit from increased footfall while encouraging more sustainable travel choices.
Supporting health, wellbeing, and inclusion
Railways play an important role in supporting wellbeing. They help people stay connected, access services, and enjoy time outdoors. Through community rail activity, NCCRP supports projects that promote physical and mental health, reduce social isolation, and create inclusive opportunities for involvement.
Volunteering sits at the heart of this work. People of all ages and backgrounds get involved, whether by helping to care for stations, supporting community events, sharing local knowledge, or contributing behind the scenes. You don’t need specialist railway knowledge, just an interest in your local area and a willingness to take part.
Learning, research, and railway stories
Community rail is also about understanding and sharing the impact of the railway. NCCRP works closely with partners, including the University of Chester, to support research into travel behaviour, accessibility, and the social and economic role of rail.
We also help connect schools, colleges, and community groups with the railway, opening up learning opportunities and raising awareness of education pathways, careers, and local rail heritage. By recording and sharing railway stories, we help ensure the value of rail remains visible and understood.
A network that connects people and places
The North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership network links cities, towns, and neighbourhoods across the region. Stations such as Chester, Warrington Bank Quay, Runcorn, Runcorn East, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Helsby, Hooton, Bache, Capenhurst, Little Sutton, Overpool, and Ince and Elton connect people to jobs, education, visitor attractions, and green spaces. Stanlow and Thornton is currently closed, but remains part of the wider network.
By listening to local voices and working closely with rail partners, councils, and communities, NCCRP helps ensure the railway continues to support social, economic, and environmental wellbeing across North Cheshire.
If you care about your local railway, enjoy exploring North Cheshire by train, or would like to play a part in supporting your community, there are many ways to get involved with the North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership.
Volunteers sit at the heart of what we do. Whether you have time to help at a station, support community projects, share local knowledge, or get involved behind the scenes, every contribution helps make a difference.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please visit our volunteer page to find out more about opportunities across the NCCRP network and how you can get involved.
