Artwork used to combat vandalism at West Yorkshire station

New artwork which celebrates the history and heritage of a village in West Yorkshire has been unveiled at the local station.  

Work on ‘A Bridge Through Time’ at Fitzwilliam station was completed earlier this week.

It features paintings of picturesque countryside and silhouette figures taking part in activities which have been an important part of life for local people, like farming, mining, sports and music.

Friends of Fitzwilliam Station, which ran the project, said artwork is being used to improve the station and deter vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Edgelands Arts created the impressive display for the footbridge with the help of Fitzwilliam Primary School and King’s Meadows Academy.

Morris Barrows, chair of Friends of Fitzwilliam Station, said: “We were keen to get the children involved in this project and create something the community can be proud of.

“We also wanted to make the station more pleasant for the people who use it and now they’ve got a new display they can enjoy.

“There used to be a lot of vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the station, but that has cut right down since we started putting artwork up.”

Friends of Fitzwilliam Station consists of eight people who volunteer to improve and maintain the station, which is operated by Northern and used by more than 290,000 people a year.

The project was funded by a Cultural Grant provided by Wakefield Council.

Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “This stunning display is an excellent addition to Fitzwilliam station and it can now be enjoyed by customers for years to come.

“We work closely with hundreds of station adoption groups, community groups and schools to make sure stations across our network are pleasant and welcoming places to visit.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.