The Friends of Goostrey Station (FoGS) have been shortlisted for not one, but two awards in the 2026 Community Rail Awards, in recognition of their ongoing commitment to enhancing the experience for passengers and the wider community at Goostrey Station.
FoGS has been shortlisted in the exclusive Platinum section for the It’s Your Station award, sponsored by Merseyrail. This award is judged by assessing and scoring each Group on four categories: gardening, community, art & heritage and environment & sustainability. This is third year running that FoGS has been nominated in the top, Platinum category for this award.
The Group has also been shortlisted for the Railway 200 Legacy award, sponsored by TrainPal. This is a one-off award being given in 2026 to recognise inspiring community rail initiatives that have been delivered as part of the Railway 200 celebrations over the previous year.
FoGS marked the milestone anniversary by hosting an event at the station on 27 September, attended by over 100 local people. Local MP Sarah Russell unveiled eight new, weather-resistant boards which record the 135-year history of the station and visitors browsed an exhibition about the Group’s achievements.
The event culminated in Goostrey’s Rose Queen burying a time-capsule, its place marked by a newly-planted apply tree and a plaque to allow the contents to be retrieved in 20 years’ time, in 2075.
Craig Sidebotham, chair of FoGS, said, “We’re thrilled that our work at Goostrey Station has again been recognised.” Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, wished a “huge congratulations to Friends of Goostrey Station for being shortlisted. We’re looking forward to them joining our community rail colleagues and industry partners to celebrate their hard work, positivity, and dedication at our awards evening in Derby on 19 March.”
Good luck to the FoGS!