A gateway to Haslemere and its surrounding countryside has been completed with the renovation of a run-down bus shelter.

The community rallied round to transform the welcome for visitors coming off the train and catching a bus at Haslemere.

The new-look bus shelter, adorned with a mural about the town and wider landscape, has been unveiled – a year after a bus shelter across the road was also treated to a make-over.

Following a speech by Haslemere mayor Jacquie Keen, the ribbon was cut by Freda Chapman, who regularly uses the bus stop opposite the railway station.

Freda said: “I use the bus most days and this mural is a great addition to the bus shelter, all very jolly. The Haslemere station staff are all very helpful and I love chatting to the volunteers at the information hub.”

The project has been a partnership between South Western Railway, Community Rail Network, South Downs National Park Authority, Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Stagecoach and a team of dedicated volunteers.

Ken Griffiths, acting chairman of Haslemere Community Station, said: “The mural added to this second bus shelter gives it a colourful, informative and meaningful presence.

“The artwork promotes the beautiful countryside and towns you can visit along the local bus routes.

“We hope this much-improved welcome will encourage people to explore the wonders of the Surrey Hills AONB and national park, which are both very accessible by bus.”

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, community rail’s national umbrella body, said: “We are so pleased to have helped fund this mural at Haslemere station, which illustrates the importance of sustainable, integrated travel to local communities.

“We know how crucial our railways, and wider sustainable transport network, are for people’s access to opportunity, health and wellbeing, and for building a greener future.”

Allison Thorpe, who leads access and recreation for the South Downs National Park, added: “This has been a real transformation and something the town and its community can be proud of.

“The area outside the railway station now acts as a useful information point for people exploring Haslemere and the countryside, including the Serpent Trail which starts at Haslemere and winds its way through the national park.”

Emma Cole, from Surrey Hills AONB, said: “The new artwork on the bus shelters by Haslemere station is a fantastic way to encourage communities travelling into the town to discover the beautiful surrounding countryside of the Surrey Hills and South Downs using greener transport.”