Southern Railway has been shortlisted for a number of awards for its "hard work and community dedication", including the Passengers Matter accolade.

Alongside its partner, Sussex Community Rail Partnership (SCRP), the two have been shortlisted for categories in the Association of Community Rail (ACORP) Awards.

The awards celebrate unsung heroes and heroines of the community rail world, alongside the hard work and dedication of community projects.

Regarding the Passengers Matter award, Southern said that since last August, working with SCRP, it has revamped and reinvigorated the process for adopting stations across its wide network, to form station partnerships, "having a huge impact on our communities".

In total 17 additional stations have been adopted, with at least 10 more in discussions/being planned. Alongside this, 11 existing station partners were inspired to extend the work they do.

Andy Harrowell, community investment manager at Southern, said: "We are focused on putting our stations at the heart of the communities they serve.

"Together with SCRP, we have really been able to make a difference to local communities."

Southern has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the following categories: Involving Young People and Involving Diverse Groups.

The winners of each category will be announced on September 29 at a ceremony in Southport.

A statement released yesterday added: "Southern and SCRP are committed to encouraging use of the railway, especially in young people."

The statement came the morning after a protest at Lewes Station over the level of service and its effect on commuters getting home. This has been compounded by repeated strike action over conductor roles and problems with staffing across the network.