A team of students has been named Volunteer Group of the Year for their efforts to help improve the passenger experience at First Great Western stations in Devon and Cornwall.

First Group’s Chief Executive, Sir Moir Lockhead and First Great Western’s Managing Director, Mark Hopwood, surprised students at Liskeard station, when they presented them with a certificate to mark their efforts, including painting signal boxes, weeding and planting bulbs in time for spring.

As well as making local branch line stations more inviting to customers, First Great Western’s Regional Manager for the West of England, Julian Crow, says their work is one of the factors that has helped achieve a record 18 per cent growth on the Devon and Cornwall branch lines so far this year.

He said: “It’s wonderful to see these young people coming along to volunteer. Whatever the weather they put on their gardening gloves and arm themselves with paint brushes to help spruce up the stations. We are very grateful for all the work they have done to help improve the local rail lines.”

The University works closely with the North Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership to encourage community based activities in the area.

Partnership Development Officer, Rebecca Catterall, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the students got the recognition they deserve for the amazing activities and projects they’ve been running over the past three years. They have showed dedication and commitment to improving branch line stations for the benefit of the local community.”

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