We are a local community action group that looks after our station.
Introducing the Friends of Handforth Station
We are very proud to have been the first “Friends of a Station” group in the whole of the UK, and we are still going strong. When we were founded in 1996, the outlook for the station seemed bleak; we believe that our efforts have turned that situation round completely, and we are consistently one of the Best Kept Stations in the area.
Working in cooperation with Network Rail, with Northern Trains, and with the local community and businesses, our primary aims are:
- To make changes for the better at the station where we can (the Handforth Station Artworks (see below for more), annual Christmas Lights, keeping the station tidy, and so on).
- To campaign and lobby the relevant authorities for improved access to the station, and for other areas where we can’t make the change ourselves.
- To represent the users of the station.
Handforth Station’s involvement in Railway 200
The FoHS have arranged several events to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the modern railway. These are summarised below; for details and pictures see here.
- March 2025 onwards: The FoHS and similar groups are organising a Rail Ale Trail, to be launched later this year.
- April 2025 onwards: The “Poems Down the Line” display opened. This display is expected to last all year, showing railway- and train-related poems at Handforth Station.
- May 2025: The FoHS presented a stall at Handforth’s VE day celebrations. This included a display focussing on the role of Handforth’s Military Railways during World War Two.
- May 2025: Handforth Model Engineering Society and the FoHS joined forces to offer a special “Open Day” to commemorate Railway 200.
- June 2025: The Reception Class of St Benedict’s Primary School listened to a talk about trains and railways, and went on a train trip – some for the very first time.
- June 2025 onwards: A new ‘commemorative stainless steel screen’ is being designed, to be displayed at the station at the end of the year to mark Railway 200.
Handforth Station – A Platform for Art
We are particularly proud of our huge collection of artworks, including the nationally-renowned Station Signs. For a downloadable guide to all the artwork, click here.
Handforth Station – Work Parties
The next Work Party at the station will be on Saturday 26th July, starting at 9.30am.
To get involved in that (or to get involved in any way !) please contact us using this form.