RAIL passengers can make a real difference to their station with improvement plans en route to Northwich.

Residents can get involved in making Northwich Station somewhere to be proud of by helping to start a Friends of Northwich Station group.

Sally Buttifant, community rail partnership officer for the mid Cheshire line, said: “Northwich Station is a key gateway into Northwich – it’s often the first look anyone gets of the area, so it’s important it looks as good as it possibly can do.

“With the history of Northwich Station, it’s an old station building, so there’s a lot of potential but it does need some tender loving care.We want to get interested local people together to try to form a group and start doing some activities.”

A friends group takes charge of its own agenda and can carry out a variety of activities, including gardening, painting and litter-picking.

“There are lots of possibilities, it depends what the people who come forward want to do,” Sally said.

“It’s about local people who care about the local area and care about making a difference.”

She explained that people can give as much or as little time as they can spare to help the station.

She also said the group would not be taking on jobs that the partnership of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), Network Rail and Northern Rail should do.

“The partnership has constrained budgets and so there’s only so much they can do – and that’s where local input comes in,” she said.

“It’s about added value – the icing on the cake.

“The station is a priority for CWAC and Northern and Network Rail – we want to make a difference there and make sure it gets all the right attention it deserves.”

John Hulme, organiser of Cheshire Best Kept Stations and vice-chairman of Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association, said: “We already have local volunteer groups working on the mid Cheshire line at Cuddington, Greenbank, Plumley and Mobberley.

“It makes a real difference to our railway stations.

“If we can find the community spirit to form a friends group, we have an opportunity to return Northwich railway station to its former self as an asset we can be proud of.”

Anyone who wants to help can ring Sally on 01244 976788 or email railofficer@midcheshirerail.org.uk.