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This project successfully funded on 5th March 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Herne Hill Train Benches
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
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Aim
We're raising money to replace the much-loved train benches outside Herne Hill train station.
Why
A dozen years ago the first pair of kids’ locomotives and bench carriages pulled up either side of the entrance to Herne Hill Station. Within weeks, children returning from school were taking turns in the driver’s cabs while parents laden with bags and scooters took a rest on the carriages. For families, a visit to the trains became a welcome diversion on the way back from school or a trip to the shops. On market days, the trains provide alfresco seating for street food grazers and for the rest of the week they welcome everyone from the neighbourhood flaneurs to connoisseurs of fine gelato.
However, a life outdoors plus plenty of usage have pushed the current trains beyond reasonable repair and so replacements are needed.
We want to raise the funds needed to make more durable trains so local children can continue to play on them for years to come. We've enlisted the help of a local designer, William Warren, to come up with some trains that will last longer, be easier to maintain and be more suitable for child's play.
[photo of the old trains]
What
The new trains will be built from strong steel that will be powder-coated to make them last with oak slats to sit on. There will be removable wooden side panels that slot into the body of the train. These panels can be painted and swapped out to give the trains a refresh and we hope to invite local artists and schools to decorate them. The design will be based on the Lord Nelson Class engines which passed through Herne Hill Station between 1926 and 1962. They will hark back to the green livery colour for Southern Railway in the 20’s and 30’s.
However, all is not quite as it seems. To intrigue the curious and spark young imaginations, anyone peering inside the carriages will glimpse some unexpected passengers. Penguins commuting to work, an owl in a flap, a ghost on its way to Halloween, a heron migrating back to the hill and a bear checking tickets have all been smuggled on board.
The open base means that any litter that is poked into the train will drop to the floor where it can be swept out. This means the new trains will cleaner and easier to maintain.
Who
The campaign is being run by the Herne Hill Forum, who have run successful crowdfunders for the annual Halloween party for years. The project is also supported by the Herne Hill Society and Station Hall and donations are welcome from all local residents and businesses.
Stay up to date on our progress by following us on Instagram: @hernehillforumofficial.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made