New community space near Alfreton Station taking shape with help from EMR's Community fund
- EMR Community Fund Awards Grant to Help Create Event Space Near Alfreton
- Terminus Park will provide valuable outdoor community space for local events and education
- The site will also include a display area for historic artefacts from London St Pancras Station – helping to explain the area's historic role in constructing parts of the iconic London landmark.
East Midlands Railway’s (EMR) Community Fund is helping to create a new heritage and community space near Alfreton Station, following the award of a grant to the project.
The fund, which supports communities and organisations along the routes served by EMR, has provided £14,307 to the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust’s (PRCLT) project to construct Terminus Park, located close to Alfreton Station.
Just a short walk from the station, Terminus Park will offer valuable outdoor space for local events and education, with schools and community groups actively engaged in its development.
The site will also include a display area for historic artefacts from St Pancras Station, helping to illustrate the area's historic role in constructing parts of the iconic London landmark.
The project has also received support from Ripley Town Council, alongside practical assistance from local businesses including Dott Training Ltd, J.C. Balls Ltd, Whitehouse Construction Co. Ltd, and heritage partners such as the Midland Railway Trust.
Brell Ewart MBE DL, Project Leader for PRCLT, said: “The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust is hugely grateful for the support given by East Midlands Railway’s Community Fund. Its contribution, along with help from other local partners, has enabled a very rapid start to the construction phase of this exciting and valued project.
"The name of London St Pancras will soon be re-engaged with Ripley and Butterley Works in Derbyshire – some 160 years since Butterley Works made the components of the world-famous arch and undercroft.”
Kaye Robinson, Community Engagement Manager at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re proud to support the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust in bringing Terminus Park to life.
"This project is a perfect example of how our Community Fund can help reconnect people with their local heritage, while creating welcoming spaces for learning, reflection and celebration. It’s not only a nod to the past but an investment in the community’s future.”
Work is already underway, and the project is expected to be substantially completed by autumn 2025.