What we’ve been up to...
The Community Train CRP works with station adopters, local groups and our rail partners to make the stations of south west London more welcoming, more creative and more connected to the communities around them.
This page is a round-up of recent projects and what’s coming next, from new murals and plaques to walks, events and an artist’s studio on the Chessington branch line. Some are finished, some are still taking shape, and most started with someone local saying “wouldn’t it be good if...”.
If you’d like to get involved, or have an idea for your own station, we’d love to hear from you.
01
A new mural brings Kingston’s story to Platform 1
Kingston station has a new mural on Platform 1, and it packs the town’s history and its railway story into one wall.
South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex commissioned it as a legacy project for Railway 200. It was painted by Kingston artists Skyhigh and Roo, working with The Community Brain as part of our community rail partnership. The Mayor of Kingston, Cllr Thay Thayalan, unveiled it in September, alongside Cllr Andreas Kirsch and Cllr Nicola Nardelli.
Look closely and you’ll spot a Victorian steam train next to one of the new Arterio trains, a ticket from 1863, the year the station opened, and a nod to the electrification of the Kingston Loop in 1916. The mural also marks Kingston’s place in English history as the town where Athelstan was crowned the first King of England in 925.
More than four million entries and exits are made at Kingston station every year, so plenty of people will pass it on their way to work, school or a day out. We hope it gives them a reason to slow down and take a look.
02
Celebrate Surbiton:
Four Thursdays outside the station
Through September, the forecourt at Surbiton station changed character every Thursday. A car park and taxi rank by day became a small town square from late afternoon, with live music, choirs and storytellers, food stalls and a bar.
Celebrate Surbiton grew from a conversation about how much more the space outside the station could offer. It was organised by The Community Brain with Surbiton Town Centre Partnership, Friends of Surbiton Station, South Western Railway, Network Rail and Kingston Council. We’re grateful to all of them, and to the vendors, performers, staff and volunteers who turned up week after week.
Up to 800 people came along on each of the four evenings. Commuters stepping off trains stopped to see what was happening, and families and neighbours stayed for the evening. That mix was what we enjoyed most.
If you missed it, you can catch up with the videos below, or take a look at the event page.
On Facebook: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3
On Instagram: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3
More photos are in The Community Brain’s photo archive.
03
Coming up: Celebrate Surbiton at Christmas
Celebrate Surbiton is coming back for a festive edition on Thursday 3 December.
Our September evenings outside Surbiton station showed how much people enjoy having a place to gather by the railway, so we’re doing it again with a Christmas twist. We’ll share the full programme closer to the date.
The event timings are 4.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Keep an eye on this page and on our social media for updates. It’s a good excuse for a pre-Christmas evening out, and the station is right there when it’s time to head home.
04
The walking festival, 11-21 July 2026
Between 11 and 21 July we ran a borough-wide walking festival that linked walking routes to our railway stations and other public transport hubs. Eleven themed walks took place, starting from stations including Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden, Chessington North and Malden Manor. More than 100 people joined us along the way.
The idea was simple: you can take the train to the start of a walk, enjoy the neighbourhood on foot, and get home the same way, without needing a car. We’re keen to build on this. If you led a walk, joined one, or have a route you’d like to see next year, get in touch and tell us.
05
Remembering Thomas Pooley at Surbiton station
Surbiton station has a new plaque in the ticket hall dedicated to Thomas Pooley, a name most people have never heard.
Pooley was the man behind the early vision for Surbiton. When the railway arrived, the area was a handful of houses in open countryside. Pooley saw a town that could grow around the line, and his layout still shapes Surbiton today. He ran out of money in 1842 and never saw it finished, which is partly why he has been so little known.
The plaque was unveiled on Tuesday 29 September by Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, and Cllr Andreas Kirsch, Leader of Kingston Council. Bob Phillips was the main driving force behind the project, supported by the Friends of Surbiton Station and a grant from Surbiton Farmers’ Market.
Next time you pass through the ticket hall, take a moment to read it.
06
Taking a Line for a Walk: an artist in residence on the Chessington branch line
A room on Platform 1 at Tolworth station that sat unused for almost twenty years is becoming an artist’s studio.
The room, the former station manager’s office, has been refurbished by South Western Railway and restored to a 1930s look. We have commissioned writer Martin Dines, Head of MA Creative Writing at Kingston University, as the first Artist in Residence. The pilot is funded by the Community Rail Development Fund, which is delivered by Community Rail Network with the Department for Transport.
The project is called Taking a Line for a Walk, after Paul Klee’s description of drawing as a line that goes for a walk. A railway is about as fixed as it gets, with set stops and timetables, but nobody experiences a journey as a straight line. This autumn, Martin and illustrator Helen Cann will explore the connections between the branch line and the natural world through conversations on the train and walks from the stations. Everything we gather will shape a podcast and a new map of the branch line, which will be displayed at Tolworth station.
The first events start on 31 October. They are free and open to everyone, no experience needed, and children with an adult are very welcome. Booking is required, and you can find the dates and booking links in our events section.
07
New Malden: 180 years
of the station, and a new mural
New Malden station turns 180 on 1 December 2026, and the community around it is marking the day with events from 11am. The New Malden Residents’ Association is working with the Malden and Coombe Heritage Society on a programme in and around the station.
It has already been a good year for the station. New Malden won an award at the South Western Railway Community Rail Awards for the New Malden Sound of Music sing-along, which brought local people together at the station. The refurbished waiting room on Platform 4 is now open too, with the Hangul sign from Kimchi Day on display there.
A new mural is also on its way. Skyhigh, the artist behind the Kingston station mural, is painting it on the side wall beside Domino’s at 15 High Street, close to the station entrance. It should be finished before 1 December. The design brings together scenes and emblems that reflect New Malden’s history as a railway town and its many communities, and local people will have chosen between two designs.