A partnership supporting the St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction line has received the official seal of approval from government.

The Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership has become one of the first partnerships in the country to be awarded an official accreditation by the Department for Transport, following a process that looked at how the partnership is run, how it uses funding and how it benefits the community it serves.

Executive member for growth, infrastructure, planning and the economy Derrick Ashley said: "The award recognises the hard work that our members have put in over the years, and the fantastic response we have had from local people along the line. Importantly it also means that the Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership is able to apply for government funding to help deliver even more projects to improve the line and encourage more people to use this local rail service."

The Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership was established in June 2005 and brings together a number of partner organisations with the purpose of increasing usage of the line. It also aims to enhance station environments to make them a more pleasant place and to give the community the opportunity to become more involved in their railway line.