VOLUNTEERS at Greenbank railway station have earned mayoral praise for their work in bringing to life a platform garden.

Cllr Kevin Rimmer, Northwich town mayor, paid a visit to Greenbank on Monday to thank the Friends of Greenbank Station for their continuing work – notably the greenery at the side of the Chester-bound tracks.

Mark Goulborn, Nigel Nutt and FOGS’s Graham Hallett visit the station every Monday, when they set about cleaning and tidying the station and planting up the planters and garden area.

This year their special projects have been a centenary mural dedicated to remembering lives lost in the First World War and the revived garden.

Cllr Rimmer, who represents the Greenbank ward, said: “I use the station on a regular basis and truly appreciate how the Friends' group work tirelessly at the station.

“When I saw the garden on the Chester-bound platform planted up, my first thought was that I had to thank the volunteers personally on behalf of the residents of Northwich.

“This is a grassroots community project which is bringing life back into our station at Greenbank.

“It is this type of volunteer effort that makes a real difference on the Mid Cheshire Line and in our local communities.”

Graham added: “I am so pleased that the mayor has taken time out of his busy schedule to come down to the station to thank Mark and Nigel.

“Mark and Nigel work endlessly to keep both the station and its car park clean and tidy along with planting up the planters.

“In the long gone days of British Railways, this garden won numerous awards in their Best Kept Garden Competition. We are hoping that the revived garden starts to win awards again.”

They are supported in their work by the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership, MCRUA and rail operator Northern.

John Hulme, vice-chairman of MCRUA, said: “Greenbank Station is my local station and I would like thank Graham and his team for their relentless effort over the last three years.

“Rain and shine, they are at Greenbank every Monday morning and once a month they visit Lostock Gralam station to tidy and plant up there as well.

“Volunteers like Mark, Nigel and Graham are the unsung heroes in our local community.”