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deadline fordeadline April. 24th stories be will recentthe Abellio Challenge until next month. The for reason this Ihave held over report the back on little earlier than of usualbecause staff holidays; getplease your bids in. English Grants Small Fund to year £30,000this so we have able been to increase amount the inthe right.the ThanksDepartment the to for Transport we manage, details of are which column inthe on we have able been to re-open three the grant funds money up for don’t grabs, so miss out. to doduring next the franchise. There is alot of teams quickly and know letthem what you want members to and get talking responding to bid the south of Nottingham/Stoke). We would urge all race (sorry, Iknow that boring isfor this so folk Northernthe and TransPennine Express franchise going along to be month. with franchising! no great far So so …..it’s surprise wanting to cancel HS2and doing Labour away only things Ihave heard about far rail so are UKIP and is reported as tetchy and tempered! bad The overI write News is election the all this BBC the Welcome to April the edition of Train on Line –as Editorial Association of Community Rail Partnerships A monthly electronic newsletter from the to Brianby 24 April Please send any material for inclusion in the next edition Watts,Richard Thirkill, AbellioGreater Anglia,Southeastern Angela Payne, Veronica Mitch Bray, Parker Sue Mike ell, Lambert, Faye Gray, Sharon Davies, Larry Buxton, Neil Bonner, Hazel Bedding, David Contributors: Sub-Editor, Design&Typesetting: PhilipJenkinson Editor: BrianBarnsley Best wishes Best Theedition next of Train on Line a be will With coming the of financial new the year We northare inthe now well embroiled in Train onLine: Brian -

being withdrawn.being summer spending it review under could threat be of isfund not substantially up taken by of time the the of year. this fund the There is aconcernthat the if unchanged. in cash. requirebelow £10000.00will match funding of 200% byadvised June 16th 15. efit. Adecisionlarge these on applicationsbe will larger bids must demonstrate aclear passenger- ben May by assessed aformal 15andbe board, will all above only accepted £10000.01will be up until 31st of £5000.00cap the on applications. However bids year. this fund the One major change is removal the email and paperwork.There aresome changes to you on designated lines should have received the fundThe for 2015/16 is now those of all open and Development Fund Designated CommunityRail uk.com please. like covered at seminar. the Ideas to brian@acorp. give some consideration to what topics you would In meantime the can station members please friend members and an invitation sent be out will shortly. The next eventbe forACoRP will our Station Friends Tuesday 2June Station AdoptionSeminar English remain fund unchanged. to Dawn at Water the Tower please. The terms the of members’the and section applications should sent be is a2015application form on ACoRP the website in again, last year. having subscribed fully been There I am delighted to tell you that open is fund also this 2015/16 Small GrantsFundEngland The mainpartnerswish afaster see take-upto For grants below terms £5000.00the remain The other change is any bid above £5000.01 and

Brian Brian

April 2015 News from Partnership Lines Make Tracks for Alsager project launched

A project to promote awareness of Alsager station and encourage increased use of its rail services has been launched by North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership (NSCRP). The project, which was one of the ACoRP Abellio Challenge finalists in 2014, is ‘Make Tracks for Alsager’ and comprises a web and poster cam- paign, plus an information leaflet that will be deliv- ered to all households in Alsager and surrounds. The leaflet is a quick guide to Alsager’s fully accessible station and provides details of the many direct services available from Alsager and tips for finding the cheapest fares, as well as 2 for 1 day out options that are available to Alsager passengers. Faye Lambert, NSCRP Community Rail Offic- er, who developed the project with Alsager station train operator Trains and Midland, said: “Very few small towns can boast regular direct services to London and key railway hubs like , Stoke-on-Trent and Derby. All these are available from Alsager, providing access by rail to anywhere in the UK, even Europe through Euros- tar connections from London St Pancras.” “Through Make Tracks our aim is to show local people that there are lots of rail travel options and ticket offers available right on their doorstep from Alsager station, whether travelling for work, study or leisure. And the cost can be very competitive too, especially for groups and advance bookings. For example, an Advance return to London Euston starts from £18.00, and with GroupSave offer, up to 4 children can travel for just £1 each.” Make Tracks for Alsager has been sponsored through an award from Cheshire East Council’s service on their doorstep. Alsager station is fully Transport and Accessibility Grant Scheme. accessible and has excellent links to larger stations Jason Cocker, Route Manager North for East such as Crewe, Derby and Stoke as well as simple Midlands Trains, said: connections to London and elsewhere. “Make Tracks is an excellent local scheme to To find out more about Make Tracks for Al- encourage local residents to make use of the train sager, visit www.northstaffsrail.org.uk News from Partnership Lines Esk Valley Railway Developments Picking Up Passengers On Line Esk Valley Railway Outings is a crowdsourced mobile-friendly resource which encourages people to use the railway for recreational days out. At EVRDC we realised that our best ambas- sadors are those who already choose to use the train. Using the interactive qualities of the web and social media, we’ve given our passengers the opportunity to share their knowledge, with us and others, by up- loading stories, articles, itineraries and photos relat- ing to their experiences of using the train. As well as providing user-tested material for this promotional online resource, crowdsourcing the content has the added benefits of increasing user engagement and Information Screens on the Esk Valley building passenger loyalty. Anyone looking for inspiration about outings As on the Esk Valley Railway are on the Esk Valley Railway can search the entries by classed as unmanned, up-to-date travel information station name, themes (such as food/drink, family on a three and a half hourly interval service is es- outings, wildlife), a map, or keywords chosen by the sential. Passengers need to know the current status of contributors. Take a look at www.eskvalleyoutings. the train. With no alternative bus routes, a long wait co.uk. for the next service, coupled with a lack of informa- The project was funded by the Designated tion, people were often reluctant to travel. Community Rail Development Fund. A partner- In 2010, Northern began a trial in Global Posi- ship of , and tioning Satellite (GPS) real time passenger informa- the Association of Community Rail Partnerships tion on the Esk Valley, initially with three standalone (ACoRP). Angela Thirkill display units. EVRDC was awarded a grant through Development Manager. EVRDC the Designated Community Rail Development Fund to contribute towards this project. Fitted with transponders, Northern can now track the trains to provide the real time knowledge, particularly essential between Battersby and Glais- dale (no mobile signal). Heritage departures are also displayed between Grosmont and Whitby, though not in real time as transponders are not fitted to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam loco’s. In 2012, the number of displays increased to ten. With over 400,000 passengers a year now using the Northern services alone, this is a great success for both our passengers and the TOC. To quote one customer: ‘The system provides good information, as previ- ously, without telephoning, it was uncertain where CIS (Customer Information Screen) at Lealholm the train was - if there at all. It can only be a good thing for everyone.’ News from Partnership Lines

Southeastern invest £120,000 in Kent CRP Train operator Southeastern has invested £120,000 in the Kent Community Rail Partnership (Kent CRP) to fund projects that will make community rail serv- ices more attractive to residents and visitors. The train operating com- pany has pledged £40,000 per annum over the next three years to support initiatives designed to get more people aboard the SwaleRail branch line from Sit- tingbourne to Sheerness and from Pad- dock Wood to Strood via Maid- stone West. The sum represents a 60 per cent uplift in funding and will double the time that dedi- cated ‘rail engagement officers’ spend in the local community, ously helped to deliver projects Kent CRP’s school activ- whilst £10,000 remains available with local primary and secondary ity is focused on young people each year in match funding for schools to promote safe, sustain- aged 10-12 whose travel habits projects. able travel by rail. Southeastern’s are becoming more independent. Barbara Thomas, passenger funding will also help the Kent A booklet, I Want to Travel by service director for Southeastern, CRP support local events target- Train, explains journey planning, said: ing leisure travellers. timetables, buying tickets and “Southeastern has supported Mike FitzGerald, Chair of staying safe. Free practice jour- the Kent Community Rail Part- the Kent Community Rail Part- neys are periodically offered for nership and its valuable work nership, said: year six pupils who will soon use for a number of years. I hope “The Partnership improves the the railway to travel to secondary our bigger investment will be a effectiveness of local railways school. Wider initiatives include catalyst for even better projects, and brings social, economic ‘rail trails’, a series of walks that in particular with young people and environmental benefits to take in beautiful countryside, and local businesses, so that all those served by community coastal scenery, industrial ar- even more people can reap the rail services. But we can’t do it chaeology and military history. benefits of these great commu- alone. Southeastern has long The Kent Community Rail nity lines.” supported us and our work Partnership also receives fund- The Kent CRP employs two and I’m thrilled they’ve seen fit ing from Kent County Council, community rail engagement of- to ramp up their investment. Tonbridge and Malling Borough ficers hosted by Sustrans. South- It will make a huge difference Council, and Medway Council. eastern will now cover £30,000 to so many people and help Southeastern of their time each year, up from provide a long-term future for £15,000 in 2014. They have previ- our railway.” News from Partnership Lines Fancy Dress at Oxted Fundraisers from the Orpheus Centre in Godstone had a fantastic day at Oxted railway station sporting some great fancy dress! They were raising money for a new minibus for the specialist college that increases the confidence and skills of young disabled adults through the performing arts. The local people of Oxted were incredibly generous towards the cause. The fundraising team would like to thank Southern Railway and all the commuters for their amazing support. We can’t wait for the next fundraising day at Oxted railway station! Walks March saw a very successful programme of free guided walks from railway stations on the Arun Valley Line. Orpheus Centre Collectors at Oxted Railway Station The first was a circular walk around Arundel taking in the beautiful Swanbourne Lake and the The weather was fantastic, encouraging many historic town. The second was from Arundel to walkers to come and enjoy the natural beauty of Amberley station, through country lanes, riverside Sussex. and countryside, with stunning views of the South This series of walks was the culmination of a Downs National Park. The final walk was a circular three year project funded by South Downs National walk around the surrounding countryside of Has- Park to encourage the use of sustainable transport socks, again with stunning views across the South through walking and cycling from railway stations Downs National Park. into the park.

‘Rail-Roaders’ at Conwy On Sunday 15 March sponsored a 5k/10k road race for runners around the town of Llandudno (Conwy Valley CRP) and this proved to be an excellent community event in which the profile of the local rail network was very much raised. Many Arriva Trains Wales staff took part in the race, which was waved off by Mr Ben Davies, Stakeholder Manager for Wales who does so much for the cause of community involve- ment in the principality. News from Partnership Lines

Changes in l Lorn - Lomond CRP - Helensburgh Upper to Oban The new Scot Rail franchise with Abellio started on 1 l Strathallan CRP - Gleneagles to Bridge of April and the way in which community rail is be- Allan ing supported will change north of the border. This means that ACoRP’s Scottish officers leave us after Proposals for further CRPs were also investigated but two years of hard work in paving the way for further the two officers unfortunately ran out of time! These community rail developments to build on the part- could include: l nerships already set up, with more being established. Burns line CRP - Dunlop down to Kilmar- Thank you to Annette Filby and Jim Wilkin for all nock and towards Ayr. l your endeavours and for what you have achieved! to Dundee - Cupar, (St. An- With financial support from Transport Scot- drews) l land, ACoRP’s two Development Officers have Dundee to Aberdeen - Broughty Ferry, helped to create 7 community rail partnerships in Balmossie, Monifieth, Barry Links, Golf their short time with us - no mean feat, bearing in Street, Carnoustie, Arbroath, Montrose, Lau- mind they had started from absolutely nothing in rencekirk, Stonehaven & Portlethen l 2013! Their hard work means that Abellio inherit CRP - the concept of a CRP cover- some ready-made CRPs that they can now help de- ing all Edinburgh stations. l velop and flourish, including: to Aberdeen - Nairn, , Elgin, l Ayr – Stranraer – SAYLSA. The CRP was ap- Keith, Huntly, Insch, Inverurie & Dyce l proved in July 2014 South Lanarkshire CRP l Community Partnership Thanks and best wishes to Jim and Annette from – Edinburgh – Galashiels. The CRP was ap- everyone at ACoRP. proved in December 2014 Neil l East Lothian CRP - Edinburgh-Dunbar- North Berwick. The CRP was approved in Marwell by Bus July 2014 l to Anniesland (via Maryhill). The The popular Three Rivers CRP was approved in October 2014 Community Rail Partner- l Glasgow-Barrhead. The CRP was approved ship rail bus link between in October 2014. (Since it was approved, Eastleigh Railway Station support has been there at the local level to and Marwell Zoo com- expand the CRP to include all the stations menced its 2015 season on in the south of Glasgow (south of the Clyde) Good Friday, It will run and into East Renfrewshire (e.g. Barrhead bank holidays and Sundays and Neilston)). through to the end of Au- l Main Line CRP - & gust. Known as service M1 it Birnam to . Established as a CRP will include the usual dis- 21 October 2014 counted entry to the Zoo. l West Highland CRP - Crianlarich to Mal- This year it si oper- laig. Established as a CRP 4 March 2015 ated by First Bus and there is also an extra benefit of an Work on establishing other CRPs also continued additional service M2 from 3 until the last minute: May operating from Lord- l CRP – Inverness to shill, Southampton Central l Kyle Line CRP – Kyle of Lochalsh – Station, Bitterne and Hedge End to Marwell Zoo, Strathcarron enabling more people to access the Zoo by bus. A Platform for Station Friends

Brighouse gets ‘Station Friends’ Group Early 2015 saw the official launch of the Friends of Brighouse Station (FoBS) although the group had been formed late in 2014. For the ‘formal’ launch we were able to get the local MP and Councillors along which gave some useful publicity The group came into being as a result of Grand Central Railway’s ‘Ambassador’ programme which started in Brighouse in May 2014. Being on the sta- tion for a somewhat longer time than that taken sim- ply to catch a train led to some discussions between the Ambassadors regarding the overall appearance of the station. Unlike the other stations on the Brighouse in a relatively new station opened in May 2000 when passenger services, which ceased in 1970, were resumed. Thus, it is rather a ‘utilitarian’ We’ve also been more than pleasantly sur- station with none of the older buildings typically prised by the response from local businesses in found at other stations along the line. Brighouse who have agreed to provide sponsor- Having reached the conclusion that the overall ship for plants for the planters and barrels to go appearance of the station and its immediate environ- onto the platforms. At the outset we set ourselves ment could be bettered a number of the Ambassa- what seemed like very ambitious (perhaps over- dors formed the nucleus of the ‘Friends’ group – and ambitious !) targets for local sponsorship and we were soon joined by other people with an equal were delighted to have been able to achieve them desire to see the station improved. A good example in a relatively short time. being the owner of the Station Cafe close by the The planters are to be installed in early June station and which is now the Group’s official head- this year and should bring a welcome splash of quarters. colour to the station – there will be 14 fence- Discussions with the Friends group at Sowerby mounted and 8 barrels this year and we plan to Bridge were very helpful as we were getting started install the whole lot in one day to make an ‘instant and The Brighouse Business Initiative was also very transformation’. supportive of what we were setting out to achieve. Whilst the planters are likely to bring the Really key though was the support of Northern most attention to the activities of the Group, Rail and Grand Central. Without this we’d have had achieving the objective of ‘Bringing new life to a real up-hill struggle but because of it we have been Brighouse Station’ will obviously require a good able to made some excellent progress in a quite short deal more than that and we are , albeit slowly, timescale. The Northern Station Manager(s) – we’ve putting together a plan which divides the station had a couple of changes as a result of re-organisation into a number of discrete areas so that we can within – have been most helpful in consider each one in turn. We are very conscious providing guidance and advice as has the Northern of the maxim of ‘not biting off more than you can Stakeholder Manager. chew’ and thus we will only start a ‘project’ when We decided that platform ‘planters’ was the way we have the resources available to see it through to to make the biggest impact in the shortest time and completion. Grand Central’s financial support has been instru- David C Bedding mental in moving that forwards as quickly as we’ve Chairman , Friends of Brighouse Station been able to. A Platform for Station Friends Mytholmroyd Station Partnership Following on from Brian’s editorial in March’s ToL, Volunteers gave ten-minute presentation cover- we can report positive action and interest in the ing their aims and future aspirations. Geoff prepared ’s 61016 text initiative at the a ‘before and after’ slide show that he introduced in a local hairdresser’s salon. I heard a customer talking pleasing and professional manner to the meeting. We about her experience of intimidation on the local came away with much to think about, and feel that train. Quick as a flash,’61016’ was my response, and this relationship with the Network Rail team is to be produced an explanatory card. The following day we recommended; we can all learn from others experi- delivered a batch of the cards to the salon for cus- ences. tomers’ use. Tim introduced the innovative plan for a Our proposed Station Building Project is not ‘Wednesdayawayday’ and we look forward to wel- quite dead in the water as we were beginning to fear; coming him and Janet to Mytholmroyd Station soon. there has more activity in the building, and a prom- Sue Mitchell ised meeting between the Station Building’s would- be trustees together with the relevant surveyors and Network Rail managers. This will be held in the ACoRP Water Tower. We attended Network Rail’s LNE & EM Com- munity Rail Partnership Induction event on the 20th March in . Tim Wright, Route Stakeholder Man- ager, introduced his colleagues who form the dedi- cated team especially designed to support and advise Community Rail Lines as well as Station Adopters. A varied agenda covered the many aspects of Network Rail’s work load , definitely an eye-opener for me, but gave me an appreciation of the many difficul- ties the organisation may encounter when trying to right a problem. It can be much more complex than a branch line. More mundane matters; mountaineering in Mytholmroyd preparing new garden area on Manchester Approach. The train terminates here Speaking about their arrival Trevor said; “Diana and I were inspired by the planters we’d seen Abellio Greater Anglia Station adopters, Trevor and on the platforms of some of the Scottish stations we Diana Cobb and their granddaughter Lucy, were visited during our holiday and wanted to bring one pleased to show off their new train shaped station to Frinton. We hadn’t anticipated the wonderful planter recently at Frinton on Sea. smell of the whisky that had travelled with them, that Handmade in Scotland from recycled whisky was a bonus! The train really brightens the station barrels, the planter has been made by Scottish com- and provides a lovely focal point for people waiting pany ‘Barrel Creations’ in Aberdeenshire who create on the platform” beautiful furniture, flower tubs and wendy houses Jayne Sumner of the Essex and South Suffolk from oak barrels sourced from the local Speyside Community Rail Partnership said, distilleries. “The planter is the latest in a number of community Trevor and Diana sourced funding from The projects that have added something special to Frinton Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partner- station. The two murals, the book swap and the tireless ship, Frinton Residents Association and Frinton-in- work of the adopters really give Frinton a unique atmos- Bloom who also provided the Primroses. phere and make the station the heart of the community. A Platform for Station Friends ScotRail Annual Station Adopters lunch I was fortunate to be able to represent ACoRP at the A lovely lunch was enjoyed by everybody and Annual ScotRail Station Adopters’ lunch in Glasgow the very valuable networking opportunity was fol- on 25 March. This was the last one hosted by First lowed by guest speakers. ScotRail as the franchise moves over to Abellio on 1 Philip Mendelsohn of Passenger Focus highly April but John Yellowlees, First ScotRail External Re- commended the station adoption programme, not lations Manager assured all those present that he was only in Scotland but also UK wide. He emphasised very confident that the tradition would be upheld by the value that adopters bring to the railway and the Abellio going forward. pleasure their work brings to the passengers. The event was very well attended by around Mark Wasilewski, renowned horticulturalist 200 adopters from all over the ScotRail network. The of The Royal Parks, London couldn’t praise all the throng of people was a heartening sight, especially ‘Adoption’ and ‘Bloom’ groups highly enough. He when you consider that many of them will have had particularly focused on in Bloom who have very long journeys and very early starts to get there. won several awards during the last 12 months alone Clearly evident is the commitment and dedication of including FIRST place for ‘Most Enhanced Station the volunteers who give many hours and much en- Buildings’ in our very own Community Rail Awards ergy to the adoption cause! I met a group in the hotel in Scarborough in October 2014. foyer who had travelled the 200 miles from to Elaine Bell, Head of Corporate Social Responsi- attend their very first Adopters’ lunch and had set off bility at First ScotRail, thanked everybody for travel- at 6am that morning. The group had been looking af- ling from far and wide to attend and Jack Muir, Chair ter Tain station for many years but had only become of Largs Poems & Pints recited one of his own poems official adopters in the autumn of 2014. They were (reproduced below). delighted to have been told by ScotRail that they I thoroughly enjoyed the event and took the would be reimbursed for a lot of the expenses they opportunity, whilst in Scotland, of interviewing two had incurred over the years and they were excited to very inspiring female volunteers/adopters for my ToL now be part of the wider station adoption movement column ‘Women in Community Rail’. One of these in Scotland! will feature in the May ToL and the other will follow later in the year. Hazel

WIGTOWN I like an old ‘stage-set’ look I like annotations; dedications, To second-hand book shops observations, corrections, and Preferably there should be rain smile over the inevitably temporary Outside, or sleet, or snow; declarations of ownership. Shelves not too low or too high, I’m pleased that no matter how many And a welcoming fire with times this book has been read, Seats around to recline in. the words are never less.

I thole turned up, or down, corners If only this single malt I sip That indicate sleep, or work; Could be similarly blessed. Or point to the poem or passage That brought someone pleasure. Jack Muir I’m not distressed by signs Of grazing between pages – it’s part of the book’s history. Northern Invitation to Tender Brings Good News

The Invitation to Tender for the new Northern l Many CRPs, supported by ACoRP, have franchise was recently published and the news is raised the issue of ticketless travel and how looking good for community rail in the north! Al- it can affect Lennon data. This has been rec- though there is a good deal of scepticism about the ognised in the ITT with a requirement to in- requirement to remove all Pacers by 2020, it seems troduce Driver Controlled Operation where to underline a very real desire on the DfT’s part to appropriate by 2020, thereby freeing up make a step-change in the quality of services across conductors for more customer-facing tasks, the northern network. There’s also recognition – including revenue collection. (Note that this long argued by ACoRP – that a railway has to be is not the same as Driver Only Operation). fit-for-purpose if it’s going to achieve any meaningful The ITT also requires a significant increase in increases in use. This doesn’t mean running trains service levels on many of our CR lines, including all the hours God sends but it does mean providing Monday to Saturdays: them when people need them, enabling communi- l Newcastle – Carlisle: two trains per hour ties to realistically access work, education, training along the entire route by December 2017; and other services like health facilities. It also means l Bishop Auckland – Darlington: An hourly recognising the value of inbound tourist traffic in de- service from December 2019; livering regeneration benefits. The Northern ITT is l Whitby – Middlesbrough: An additional clear about the value of sustainable communities and early morning service, to enable local people the important part transport plays in enabling them, to access work in Middlesbrough and so it’s no surprise to see some significant improve- beyond; ments mandated for the new franchise. l Barrow-: eight trains per Changes in operator (‘remapping’): day by December 2017; l Moving Oxenholme – Windermere and Lan- l : Extra trains and re- caster – Barrow services from TransPennine timed trains to better serve Sellafield shift to Northern; patterns. Some to be delivered by December l Moving the Barton – Cleethorpes services to 2017, the remainder by December 2019; East Midlands Trains (expected to happen l Manchester-Bolton-Blackburn: two off-peak when the EMT franchise is re-let in 2017). trains per hour by December 2017; l Manchester-New Mills-Buxton: two trains A brief summary of the benefits for community per hour by December 2017; rail includes: l Manchester-Northwich-Chester: Additional l By 2020, all existing rolling stock must have stopping service Manchester-Northwich by been refurbished to meet passenger percep- December 2017; tions that it is modern, comfortable and l Windermere-Oxenholme: two trains per day comparable to that of new or nearly-new to Manchester Airport by December 2017; rolling stock. Furthermore, all rolling stock l Hull-Scarborough: Existing nine trains at 90 must be fitted with bogies, which effectively min. intervals to improve to twelve trains at rules out the four-wheel Pacers. All toilets approximately hourly intervals by December must be Controlled Emission type and that’s 2017; not a moment too soon!; l Leeds-Settle-Carlisle: Additional late-after- l On top of the improvements, a minimum noon service Leeds-Carlisle plus additional of 120 new carriages must also be procured evening service Carlisle-Leeds by December by 2020. Again, these must be ‘thoroughly 2019; modern’ and have ‘a clear focus on passenger l Skipton-Lancaster: seven trains per day by comfort’. Bidders will also get additional December 2019. credit for proposals that ‘better meet the needs of scenic and tourist routes’; è Northern Invitation to Tender Brings Good News (cont’d) Friends of the The Friends of the West Highland Lines A.G.M. will be in the Another major development is the requirement to Regent Hotel, Oban on Saturday 16th May starting at 12 noon. substantially increase Sunday services: Lunch will be served at 1 p.m. (£12) l All-year round Sunday services to be intro- After lunch speakers will be from the Management teams of duced by December 2017 on the Whitby- the new ScotRail and Caledonian Sleepers franchise holders, Middlesbrough and Barrow-Whitehaven Abellio and . lines; To book lunch, please contact the Secretary, Fraser McDonald. ([email protected]) l Greatly improved Sunday service frequencies on the Bishop Auckland-Darlington, Manchester-Sheffield (‘Hope Valley’), Hello Goodbye Manchester-Northwich-Chester, Hull- l Karen Boswell leaves as MD of East Coast 28 Scarborough and Sheffield-Penistone- February Huddersfield lines. l David Horne takes over as new MD of Vir- The new franchisee will also be required to pro- gin Trains East Coast 1 March vide at least £500,000 per year in support of all the l Jim Wilkin and Annette Filby leave ACoRP Northern CRPs. The DfT (supported by ACoRP’s on 31 March recent report on the Value of Community Rail) have l Abellio take over the ScotRail franchise 1 recognised that CRP Officers must have a minimum April level of secure funding if they are to achieve anything l Serco take on the new practical. With local authorities struggling in the franchise 1 April current financial climate, it was felt that supporting l From 1 April the Office of Rail Regulation CRPs through the franchise mechanism was the only also assumes responsibility for monitoring realistic method of providing this security for the and is renamed the Office foreseeable future. The trade-off of course, is that of Rail and Road CRPs will be expected to up their game somewhat Neil but we suspect that most will be up for that! Exciting times for community rail in the com- Gets Go-Ahead ing years! Neil On 26 March DfT advised that the planning inspec- tor had found in favour of the Ordsall Chord after Freedom of Rail Information it was called in for review. This follows an eighteen Network Rail has recently become subject to the month period of public consultation and a 2014 Freedom of Information Act due to its new sta- Public Inquiry. The decision will enable Network tus as an arms-length body of the Department for Rail to construct the new elevated chord line (which Transport. Anyone can now legally ask the firm for is a key element of the scheme). It information related to its public services and should will link the Bolton lines with the Chat Moss lines in receive a reply within twenty working days. , and the new line will allow all three of Manchester’s main stations (Oxford Road, BT Police Text Line Posters Piccadilly and Victoria) to be linked to create many new journey opportunities. As mentioned last month BT Police have a text line Peter 61016. Chief Inspector Lorna McEwan has asked if members would be willing to to display the 61016 text Seen on TV line posters on any local info boards that they manage Chris Watson - previously CRPO for the in Lincoln- at stations? The suggestion is for A4 size – if you are shire and founder of the Sleaford Ukulele Orchestra of music train fame - appeared on BBC TV’s quiz show Pointless last able to help with this please let me know and ACoRP week. Alas, although accompanied by his daughter Martha, will co-ordinate with Lorna to get them to you. they did not win the big prize! Brian Citizens’ Rail is an EU Interreg IVB project to develop local and regional railways by involving the community. Its lead partner is the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, working alongside partners in Lancashire, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

All aboard the Citizens’ Rail train

The Citizens’ Rail project is now CR train at Dawlish (Colin J Marsden) being promoted across the South West of England thanks to a new train livery unveiled at the start of March. Train operator First Great Western – a key player in our project between Ex- eter and Paignton – kindly offered to rebrand the Class 153 train to coincide with the latest meeting of our EU partners, held in London. From there the French, German, Dutch and UK representatives travelled to Swindon on Thursday A second train livery, volve communities in Japan. This 5th March for a meeting at First promoting travelling to South ranged from children’s projects to Great Western headquarters, and Devon by train, is also currently innovative shops at urban stations then saw their unmissable red in production. The units were in that sell rural produce and en- train arrive at the station. The need of rebranding as they were in courage passengers to visit outly- “photo bubbles” on the train show London Midland rather than First ing areas by train. the different types of community Great Western colours. The following day we re- engagement undertaken during The visit by our European ceived a tour and series of inter- the project, ranging from our colleagues also included some esting presentations from Cross- family Minibeast Trail, to transna- excellent opportunities to learn rail – the new high frequency, tional student masterclasses, to from the Department for Trans- high capacity railway for London work with Friends of the Station port, and even the East and the South East. Our tour groups and other volunteers. Japan Railway Company. included a rooftop view of works The unit will now travel We were extremely grate- to transform Whitechapel, dur- the First Great Western network ful that Clare Moriarty, Director ing which we heard how Crossrail spreading the word about the General for the Rail Executive, is working with the community project. In the days following and Norihito Kuroyanagi of the to minimise disruption and keep the launch, the unit instantly East Japan Railway Company (JR- people informed. began turning heads at stations East) joined our meeting at the The partners went away with including Dawlish, where it was Department for Transport. Clare plenty of new ideas and food for described as “rather stunning” by was particularly interested in thought as we move towards the Colin J. Marsden, editor of the Citizens’ Rail’s work with schools, final phase of Citizens’ Rail, which Dawlish Trains website (www. praising how our partners are runs until the end of September dawlishtrains.com). The extra balancing safety messages with 2015. See more photos of the promotion provided by the livery making local and regional rail- Citizens’ Rail train and keep up has led to March being the most ways welcoming and engaging. to date with the latest from the popular month ever for the Citi- Norihito gave an excellent project at www.citizensrail.org. zens’ Rail website. presentation on how JR-East in- Richard Watts, ACoRP Board Member and on various Rail North working groups, reports

Well, March has been a bit of nail biter for me! Two At officer level two key structures are being set key events have taken place one practical and the oth- up. The Strategic Board will be made up of three er strategic. On the practical front and after lengthy officers from Rail North (likely to be two from the negotiations Lancashire County Council signed on Combined Authorities and one from a LTA) and 18 March a Funding Agreement with Northern Rail three from the DfT, with an independent chair. A for the provision of the new Blackburn to Manchester recruitment process is being put in place to find the service via Burnley Manchester Rd and the newly re- latter – it will be a tough job to cement the partner- instated and commissioned Todmorden Curve. A few ship but a very worthwhile challenge. A Management days later Rail North signed the Partnership Agree- Team made up of officers from Rail North and DfT ment with the Secretary of State for Transport which will be responsible for the daily management of the formalises the partnership between the two bodies. two franchises. When the new Northern and Trans Pennine fran- What will the Rail North Partnership be respon- chises are let they will be managed in the north from sible for? In short it will manage the process of alter- offices located within the Combined ing or enhancing services and facilities; additional Authorities’ premises in Leeds. A major development rolling stock, increased frequency and new stations. indeed and one of significant strategic impact. It has Where Transport Authorities are seeking to fund or been a staggering achievement to get the 29 Local sponsor changes, Rail North will lead on negotiations Transport Authorities to work together and to develop with the franchisees and the process of implemen- a functioning organisation that will take responsibility tation. Rail North will also be the link to national for the vast majority of the north of England’s railways. processes for investment and the setting of regulated So what next? Well, for the new Todmorden fares. Fundamental to its work is the ‘Long Term Rail service it is all about communicating the new service Strategy’ which has been formerly adopted by the full to potential users; easier said than done but I have partnership (see http://www.railnorth.org/strategy/). learnt some good ideas from Lancashire’s involvement So where in all this does Community Rail sit? in the Citizens’ Rail Interreg IVB project and from Well we know from the ITTs and draft Franchise the student master class that was recently hosted by Agreements (which incidentally are now on the DfT UCLAN, Preston on behalf of Citizens’ Rail. What website) the roles being laid out for the new North- was really surprising was how traditional the students ern and Trans Pennine franchises. What has yet to were; whilst embracing new technology and social be thought through is the level of involvement Rail North wants in the development of Community Rail, media it was good old-fashioned methods which of which more in a future article. tended to predominate. Full details, including the I will finish on a practical note. Working with students’ presentations can be found at: http://www. Paul Salveson, the Settle-Carlisle Partnership and the citizensrail.org/masterclass-ii/. (For those in the know Leeds Morecambe CRP we have developed a paper Brian the Bull features in one of the presentations!!). called Local Management – Unlocking the potential For Rail North it is all about getting the new of the Settle Carlisle and Bentham Lines. The paper structures in place and functioning. At the top of looks at possible ways in which a more devolved the tree are the 11 Directors forming Rail North Ltd. approach to Community Rail lines may pay divi- RNL is chaired by Sir Richard Leese from the Greater dends. To quote the ITT “The Department requires Manchester Combined Authority with the other 10 a Franchisee who will support and embed innovation Directors coming from the rest of the patch. In the throughout the business”. Well Local Management is case of Lancashire our Director is my lead member for innovative, sound business sense and should be good Highways and Transportation but he is also the Direc- for the local economy – a win win?? tor for Cumbria CC and our two unitary authorities If you have any comments on the above please of Blackpool and Blackburn. We form a group known send them to [email protected] very snappily as North West (North)!! Can anyone (FAO Richard Watts). think of a snappier name? Members from all the The above views are those of the author and are not those of 29 authorities forming Rail North belong to what is Lancashire County Council, Rail North or ACoRP. known as the Association of Rail North Partners. © Richard Watts 01/04/2015 Former ACoRP Secretary Philip Jenkinson takes a sideways look at the public transport media. Views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect ACoRP policy

Modern Railways (April); Rail 770 (18 March), 771 (1 April); Today’s Railways UK (April); Transport Times (April); Local Transport Today 667 (6 March), 668 (20 March); Passenger Transport 104 (13 March); Railwatch (April) Not unexpectedly, the Invitation to Tender for the Minister Claire Perry, asked about their use in the two Northern franchises dominates coverage in Rail new Northern franchise, as saying “Not on my watch”. and Modern Railways (April’s TRUK went to press too Do she and McLoughlin share a hymn-sheet? early and so we shall have to wait until the May issue Modern Railways has a look at the decline in for its ‘bogie-man’ to wax exultant about the direction comfort of train seats and itself manages two steam to withdraw all ‘Pacers’ by 2020). As for the other loco photos (like Rail, too LNER-ish for this reader!) two, what they tell you is pretty much what you can and also looks at the burgeoning electrification pro- read elsewhere in this issue and so there is no point in posals with a slightly less evangelical air than Rail. saying much more. Suffice it to say that following his Today’s Railways looks at the line south of discovery of the existence of Pacers, Secretary of State Birmingham to Worcester (both historically and cur- for Transport Patrick McLoughlin has decreed that rently) and declares itself ‘intrigued’ by Network Rail’s they should all go by 2020 and bids should regard this East Midlands route study. as final. (Whether he, or his successor, will feel the With so much about possible railway electrifi- same when (s)he finds out what it will cost is another cation in the railway publications it’s almost a relief matter - and what is really disturbing about this men- to turn to Local Transport Today 667, which asks tality is that it could result in trains being withdrawn “What future is there for the diesel train?” - a good by order on New Year’s Eve without replacement). question to which people on a lot of lines which even Quite what is going to operate all the wonderful serv- Rail wouldn’t see electrified in 25 years would like an ices promised in the ITT one can’t begin to imagine. answer. In edition 668, apart from a typically absurd Could there be an election in the offing? contribution in the correspondence columns from Questing further into Wonderland Rail 770 is serial anti-rail fantasist Paul Withrington there’s a suggesting that twelve Northern lines (including Cal- plea from Paul Salveson to re-invent ‘the station town’. der Valley, Mid-Cheshire, Harrogate, Clitheroe and While not totally without merit his proposals seem Buxton) might be electrified by 2024. Given that the more like ‘railway hamlets’ whose ultimate sustain- DfT has now admitted that TransPennine won’t get ability one would have to call into question. done until the early 2020s (it doesn’t go near London, Passenger Transport 104 sees Nick Rich- after all) one can only imagine that Rail’s editorial ardson pouring scorn on Withrington’s ‘Pave the staff have been on the mushrooms again! Rail 771 Railways’ philosophy while their Whitehall insider has a more measured look at the proposals. asks, quite reasonably “How will we pay for ‘Pacer’ Rail 770 includes an interview with Ben Still replacement?”(S)he also points out that “McLough- about what Rail North has achieved so far (just in lin won’t be Secretary of State, of course, when the case you don’t believe Richard Watts!) and a rather music stops on this one”. Quite. The best argument mean-spirited farewell to DOR’s stewardship of East for ‘Pacer’ replacement is that once it’s happened Coast by Howard Johnston (too much of Rail these surely the 150s, the most badly-designed, passenger- days leans to the political right). An uncharacter- unfriendly heaps of junk in the history of British istically wonderful feature of this issue, however, is railways, must be next. no less than six photographs of steam Transport Times re-asserts the nightmare of (even if they do get 75001 wrong!) in items about the the N******n P*w*rh**se and holds a Great Trans- Borders Railway and Temple Meads. There’s also an port Debate with political leaders. Baroness Kramer article about prospects for East Anglia and one about claims that the coalition’s legacy is a focus on cities current operations on the Isle of Wight. and regions (not towns, you’ll notice). Rail 771 looks in some detail at the plans for Finally, if you can get past the political infighting rebuilding old LT stock in order to inflict it upon the of idealists, Railwatch carries the reward of Chris Aus- North of England. Modern Railways reports Rail tin’s positive account of Community Rail in Devon.