FRIENDS of Handforth Station, a community group who look after Handforth train station and its upkeep, have now successfully ‘twinned’ with another station in Ireland.

The Handforth team has paired with the Friends of Malahide Station group, a coastal town just north of Dublin.

Members of both groups hoisted a ceremonial flag at the Handforth station, with new signs to be added to Handforth’s already impressive display of station plaques.

Andrew Backhouse, chair of Friends of Handforth Station, said: “Yet another bit of progress for Handforth, which will finally get its electronic display system this month, and starts half hourly service into the evening at last.

“Perhaps we can now see more movement on access?”

Friends of Handforth Station formed in 1996, and was the UK’s first ‘Friends of a Station’ group. Their ongoing primary campaign is to get National Rail and Northern Rail to install step-free access for the station.