Crewe has long been synonymous with railways and a new mural has been unveiled at the station to celebrate the town's railway heritage.
The bespoke artwork, which is 12 metres long, was inspired by the words of a local poet and forms part of a partnership between Avanti West Coast and North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership.
‘Tracks are in Our Veins' was written by Gareth Williams and his words feature in the mural, along with several notable landmarks from the town. Gareth grew up in Crewe in a railway family and, during lockdown, set up his own business. Rhymeology aims to help companies express themselves in an innovative way.
It's 185 years since civil engineer Jospeh Locke identified Crewe as a junction on what was then the new West Coast main line. Over the last 12 months, there has been a celebration of this milestone and the project is set to continue in to 2024. Schools in Crewe are expected to produce a poetry booklet which will feature not only the Gareth Williams poem but also verses written by pupils looking at a range of rail-related themes. These will include history of the railway at Crewe as well as a look at the future of rail travel. At the conclusion of the project, there will be a poetry event at the station.
Karen Grimshaw, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Crewe, said: “Millions of people pass through the station each year but few outside the area, know the real story of Crewe.
“Gareth's passion and words are really brought to life by the mural and the customer reaction has been really positive.”
Gareth Williams added: “Like most people from Crewe, the railway is in my blood. We are incredibly proud of the role our town has played, and will continue to play in the railway story.
“So it was a great honour to be asked to bring that story to life through rhyme and what better place for the mural than the station itself.”
Emma McIntosh, Community Rail Partnership Officer, North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership, said: “Gareth's poem is a wonderful celebration of the origins of Crewe and one we hope will inspire pupils at local schools to capture, through poetry, the town's close links with the railway.”
