NETWORK Rail has introduced iconic mural signs in three south London stations.

The murals have been designed and painted by local artist Lionel Stanhope.

The signs are available for commuters to view at Tulse Hill, West Norwood, and Birkbeck stations.

The murals show the result of community and rail industry partnerships where they are working together to enrich the areas through train stations.

Network Rail gave permission for all three murals and funded the Birkbeck project.

Lionel Stanhope said: “It is a pleasure to paint my signs in these local communities.

"They are always received well and chatting to locals as I’m painting is always a positive experience.

“These signs can only be made possible by thorough organising on the part of a motivated group or individuals.

“It shows what can be achieved with driven local projects.”

The West Norwood mural was originally planned before the coronavirus pandemic.

Work was delayed as the pavement alongside the bridge wall was “too narrow” to allow social distancing.

Network Rail Southern region managing director John Halsall said: “Murals are a great way for the railway to bring positivity and a brighter face to the communities we serve.

“We own bridges and other structures across the south and not only do these murals make them much nicer to look at.

"They also encourage people to respect and look after them.

“We’re always open to creative ways to make our railway look better and more welcoming for the neighbourhood.”

Lionel was commissioned by Birkbeck Community Initiative, a local environment-focused group.

Southern Rail station manager, Steve Fleming introduced himself to the group through their Facebook page, where they presented him with the idea of a mural.

“Station-to-Station” BID Manager Charlotte Ashworth said: “As a business improvement district we have now worked with Lionel on four occasions.

"The station name signs on the two bridges plus another couple of murals on our industrial estate, Norwood Works.

“At Tulse Hill, Lionel matched the colours to the art installation already underneath the bridge, and it looks very cheerful, even matching the graffiti eggs above.

“Thanks to Steve and Lionel who helped us get to the right person at Network Rail to get the permission to use the wall.”

The Tulse Hill and West Norwood artworks were commissioned by the “Station-to-Station” Business Improvement District (BID).

For the Tulse Hill mural, the BID used funds provided by the Borough of Lambeth.

William Foster, Treasurer of the Birkbeck Community Initiative, said: “We are massively proud of our mural here at Birkbeck and immensely grateful for the goodwill and generosity extended to our community by everyone involved in the project: Steve Fleming and his colleague Rob Whitehead at Southern, Jonathan Nesbitt at Network Rail, and of course, Lionel.

“We started the consultation about the mural colour scheme and design details over the festive period and ran three polls through the community group Facebook page over Christmas & New Year to finalise the colours and design.

"The project brought our community together – discussing and deciding the details created a sense of ownership – and the mural reinforces our community’s identity.

“We had to meet a time constraint on completion of the project to qualify for funding from Network Rail, and Lionel prioritised our mural to ensure it was delivered on time.

"We’re looking at having t-shirts printed with the design, which will be sold locally to support further community projects.”

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