An innovative event celebrating the 200th anniversary of rail travel has won Sandbach station a top award.

The Friends of Sandbach Station (FOSS) organised a a peformance from the internationally renowned Foden's Brass Band to mark the 200th anniversary of rail travel back in September.

The station was packed with both passengers and visitors at the event featured here and now FOSS is celebrating after being one of two stations to win the Rail 200 award at Cheshire Best Kept Station Awards.

The awards aim to celebrate the communities who work to improve railway stations across Cheshire and parts of Greater Manchester.

Sandbach station shared the award with Handforth who also achieved the the Railway 200 award.

Sandbach rail station won the accolade of joint winner alongside Handforth in the Railway 200 category presented at the annual awards evening of the Cheshire Best Kept Stations.

FOSS chairman Christian Shawcross said: "We are delighted that our efforts at the station have been recognised and that the visit by Fodens Brass Band was so greatly appreciated."

Sandbach's success in the Railway 200 award, follows hot on the heels of a busy year for FOSS which included the routine planting and maintenance of flowers and shrubs and weeding the three platforms, installing a new feature planter with associated seating, a new water tank as well as their regular pop-up cafes during summer months.

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Goostrey railway station also featured in the awards picking up the Avanti West Coast Sustainability award sponsored by Avanti West Coast.

Mark Barker, chair of the Cheshire Best Kept Station Awards, said to the shortlisted teams: "Your hard work and pride in your stations make a huge difference, not only to the stations but to your communities.

"They are part of our lives, where journeys begin and end, whether everyday trips for work, shopping, a day trip or a night out, important journeys to go on holiday or to university. Where loved ones are welcomed or bid farewell.

"They are gateways to our communities, to our lives."

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