Chiltern Railways launches Community Investment Fund for 2025/26
Rail operator Chiltern Railways has today (Monday 07 April) announced the launch of its Community Investment Fund (CIF) for 2025/26, offering grants to support projects that deliver meaningful social, economic and environmental benefits to communities across its network. Applications for the fund are now open, closing on 05 May 2025. Grants ranging from £5,000 to £20,000 are available, with the potential for match funding up to a total project value of £40,000.
The CIF is designed to deliver initiatives that improve station environments for customers, encourage sustainable and accessible travel, and strengthen community relationships. Eligible applicants include local charities, Community Interest Companies, Business Improvement Districts, Community Rail Partnerships and other not-for-profit groups.
This builds on the successful delivery of 11 projects in 2024/25, including Chiltern Rangers and Buckinghamshire New University delivering gardening and artwork projects at High Wycombe Station, the creation of the Marylebone on Display exhibition promoting local charities and businesses around London Marylebone and Midlands-based charity Jericho providing rail confidence visits to survivors of modern slavery and people trafficking across the West Midlands.
Zach Bailey, Regional Growth Manager at Chiltern Railways, said: “I am excited to announce that applications are now open for our 2025/26 Community Investment Fund, building on Chiltern’s track record of delivering social value projects in our communities.
“We were delighted by the quality of last year's projects, from working with community partners to deliver creative artwork installations at Banbury, Great Missenden and Oxford Parkway stations and helping to build rail confidence amongst school children and those impacted by domestic abuse and modern slavery, among other really important causes along our route.
“We look forward to receiving applications from a diverse range of not-for-profit charities, community groups and organisations over the next month.”
For more information and to apply, visit here.
Contact Information
Notes to editors
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 38,000 people and delivering around 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 10 European countries.
- Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.