Walks from the Railway
Promoting walks from stations for physical and mental health
DCRP’s Rebecca Catterall (centre) leads a taster walk with Beacon Wellbeing Hub
To respond to people’s urge to get back outdoors following the pandemic, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) mounted a year-long campaign to promote the scenic ‘walks from the railway’ available across the two counties.
The aim was to give locals and visitors the inspiration and resources to improve their physical and mental health while helping rebuild rail patronage and supporting tourism businesses.
DCRP doubled the number of self-guided walks on its website (from 18 to 36), promoting them with a paid-for social media campaign. DCRP innovated with video guides, a new “Walk of the Month” feature and promotion on its fast-growing TikTok account to reach younger audiences.
The walks were featured in DCRP’s flagship Great Scenic Railways leaflet (275,000 copies), and new interpretation boards and station posters were created. DCRP also offered free guided walks and assisted travel to disadvantaged groups.
The campaign reached 450,000 people on social media, with more than 500 positive comments and 500 shares. Over 20,000 people visited DCRP’s walks webpages, more than double their previous record.
DCRP’s marketing was praised by partners ranging from the National Trust to Dartmoor National Park, and local hospitality businesses reported additional bookings directly thanks to DCRP’s campaign.
