Published on: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
A team of volunteers joined forces atWhittlesea rail station to tidy up disused areas behind the platform on Friday4th March to coincide with national ‘Clean for the Queen’ campaignweekend.
Members of the Hereward Community RailPartnership and Whittlesey Street Pride Group along with representatives fromAbellio Greater Anglia, Network Rail, and Railscape joined forces to removeweeds, brambles and buddleia from behind Platform 2 (Ipswich-bound).
The area was being cleared to accommodate anew raised bed, which will soon be installed. This will be planted and tendedby the Community Rail Partnership and the Friends of Whittlesea Station that iscurrently being established.
Councillor Kay Mayor, a Fenland DistrictCouncillor and the Whittlesey Town Council representative from the HerewardCommunity Rail Partnership, said, “TheCRP is committed to improving all the stations in North Cambridgeshire as partof our work to increase the number of local railway passengers. Clearing thedebris on a large area of land at Whittlesea Station is the first step of alonger term plan for a station garden. Making the station an attractive place to wait for trains is one elementof our wider masterplanning approach. We would like to thank everyone whoturned up to support the event especially the Whittlesea Pride Group.”
Alan Neville, Abellio Greater Anglia’sCustomer Experience Manager, who helped on the day, said, “Everyoneworked really hard to clear weeds and debris to make way for a new garden area.The day was very enjoyable, with everyone participating with real enthusiasmand making a real difference in improving the overall appearance of theplatform.”
More than one millionpeople nationally were expected to join the UK’s largest litter pick over theClean for The Queen Weekend over 4, 5 and 6 March.