Volunteers praised for transforming two Northern train stations in West Yorkshire

More than 50 people pitched in to improve the appearance of Ilkley Station in April, by sweeping up the platforms, cleaning gullies and repainting fences and lighting columns.

The group included volunteers from Friends of Ilkley Rail Station, a group of local school children and Northern staff.

Another 15 volunteers transformed Burley Park Station in Leeds earlier this month, as they jet washed the steps, cut back overgrown vegetation and repainted the platform fence.

The group also upgraded waiting shelters at the train station, which is frequently used by cricket fans travelling to Headingley Stadium, by installing new vinyl covers.

They feature artwork that was created by a group of students from Calderdale College, with support from Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

It comes as Northern is running a series of volunteer days throughout the summer months, offering people the chance to make improvements that customers have been calling for.

Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: “We’re hugely grateful to the volunteers who have given up their time to transform two of our stations.  

“We work with volunteers across the North of England to make sure our stations are clean and welcoming, and we know their hard work does not go unnoticed as we regularly receive positive feedback from customers.”

Ilkley Station is used by more than 1.3 million passengers a year and Burley Park Station is used by more than 680,000 a year. Both are operated by Northern.

Anyone who wants to ask Northern to make improvements to their local station should contact the operator by emailing [email protected]

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.