Beyond the Platform: Uncovering Diverse Histories Through Rail
We’re excited to share our Beyond the Platform project, a community-led exhibition developed by Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership (GCRP) to mark the 200th anniversary of the UK railways. The project explores the lesser-known stories behind Gloucestershire’s rail network, highlighting the contributions of South Asian and Caribbean communities whose voices have historically been underrepresented in official records.
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Project overview
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The railways have long played a central role in shaping communities, not only connecting people and places but influencing careers, migration, identity, and opportunity. However, many of these histories - especially those from underrepresented communities have gone undocumented or overlooked.
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Beyond the Platform set out to address that gap through a community-led programme of:
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Story gathering workshops
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Creative arts sessions
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Archival research
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Public exhibitions
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Opportunities for young people to get involved
The project aimed to surface hidden histories, spark intergenerational conversations, and reconnect communities with their local rail heritage and underrepresented history, and is a continuation of GCRP’s Black History Every Month projects.
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The Beyond the Platform process
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Through months of creative workshops, pop-up events and archival research, the project brought together residents, young people, historians and artists to explore how the railway has shaped lives. A student from the university of Gloucestershire was involved in initial research and a young mentee from the community also took part, gaining skills in storytelling, working with historical material, and collaborating with cultural organisations. The result is a compelling new exhibition that blends then-and-now photography, personal storytelling, archive materials and community-made artwork.
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The exhibition is now open to the public at four local train stations: Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud and Cam & Dursley - where it will remain on display for three months. Visitors can expect to see historical images reimagined alongside contemporary reflections and powerful community insights that bring Gloucester’s railway history to life. An online version, including four short films and audio stories, to give additional information and context to the Beyond the Platform initiative.
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Why this initiative is important
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At the heart of Beyond the Platform is the belief that railways are more than infrastructure - they’re a record of the people and communities who built, worked, and travelled along them. Historical archives have long underrepresented the contributions of minority communities and we recognise that we are in a place to help share these stories. Many participants were surprised to learn about disused stations and long-forgotten rail lines hiding in plain sight across familiar streets, and the project sparked important conversations about connection, heritage and place.
The project was developed by GCRP in collaboration with local partners including Gloucestershire Archives, the University of Gloucestershire, and a local community artist.
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Most importantly, we want to thank local community members at All Nations Community Centre who shared their heartfelt stories and memories with us.
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Funded by Together Gloucester and Great Western Railway (GWR), Beyond the Platform forms part of the wider Railway 200 programme celebrating two centuries of rail in the UK. Looking ahead, GCRP plans to continue building on this work, using rail heritage to engage underrepresented groups, inspire future journeys, and connect people with opportunities in education, employment and the natural world.
To find out more about the exhibition or future projects, visit our blog on the Beyond the Platform initiative here.
