VALE PUBLIC TRANSPORT GROUP NEWSLETTER No. 1

Working to protect, improve and promote bus and rail transport in , and the surrounding area. March 2021 Chairman’s Welcome

Welcome to the first newsletter for our Vale Public Transport Group committee, aimed not only at keeping our town and parish councils’ representatives informed, but also for wider circulation to larger councils and opinion formers.

The effects of the continuing Covid pandemic and its implications have led to reductions in both bus and train services in view of the inevitable fall in numbers travelling. Journeys at present should be limited to key workers, for those unable to work from home and essential journeys only. Good to see however the vast majority of people are observing the restrictions. If you have to travel please remember social distancing and always to wear a facemask when using buses or trains. We owe a vote of thanks to all the staff involved, drivers, conductors, platform and office staff etc. who are doing really well and looking after passengers; we will encourage use of the services when we can do so safely.

Despite the gloom we are pleased to report new community bus service initiatives opening up new shopping opportunities for residents of large villages such as , and Norton, Worcester. Meanwhile we welcome news that the County Council has agreed to extend funding for both the Pershore PlumLine (566) and Village Hopper (564/5) services until at least July 2021. We are also pursuing a number of smaller projects with other agencies such as GWR and District Council to improve the station environment and bus/rail interchange. Your officers have attended positive and useful Zoom style meetings with First Midland Red, and are now involved in Wychavon’s “Ticket to Ride” campaign. Read on for more details……….

Julian Palfrey, Chairman VPTG.

PERSHORE RAIL STATION IMPROVEMENTS

Plans to improve the station environment at Pershore and upgrade bus/rail interchange are being pursued by VPTG.

The moves follow final approval by the Department for Transport for the planned 400 space car park and linking footbridge from Wychavon District Council owned land to the north east of the railway – although this is subject to funding and could be up to two years away.

In the meantime, VPTG is working with GWR, Wychavon and other agencies to achieve:

* Repairs to – and upgrade of – station driveway lighting * Provision of a covered bus shelter at the top of the station approach * Relocation of the bus stop on the opposite side to a safer and more prominent position * Changes to the local Pershore PlumLine bus timetable to improve bus/rail connectivity. * Improvement of bus/rail, local and tourist information at the station * Provision of additional information boards at/near the station entrance * Additional planting for the attractive and well-maintained station flowerbeds

Julian Palfrey

NEW SERVICES FOR DRAKES BROUGHTON AND PEOPLETON

Two new community bus services (CB4/5) were launched in Drakes Broughton and Peopleton early in October.

The CB4 runs every Friday starting at calling at , , Churchill, , Peopleton and Drakes Broughton (village) reaching Pershore at 1030. Operated by Pershore Volunteer Community Transport it returns from Pershore at 1230 (although reduced during lockdown to 1130).

The CB5 starts at Drakes Broughton and calls at Peopleton on its way to Worcester. Operating every Tuesday, it arrives at Worcester at 1030 and leaves at 1400 (reduced to 1200 departure during lockdown) and is operated by Worcester Wheels. For both services users have initially to register with the organisers prior to booking and they are “ring and book” services.

The services have been supported with £1,000 from County Councillor Rob Adams and funding from the Community Transport Fund at County organised by Madeleine Sumner. Drakes Broughton and Peopleton have taken the lead in assisting with funding and in arranging publicity via social media and local shops. Usage has been encouraging, enabling the services to be extended until the end of March when it is hoped, after review, they will continue.

Tina Pell (Drakes Broughton)

Please note: Due to the implications of a Covid outbreak the “Worcester Wheels” service from Drakes Broughton and Peopleton to Worcester has currently been paused. However, the Pershore service continues to operate and is proving popular, although organisers are now urgently seeking additional funding as the present funding runs out in April.

THE NORTON CONNECTOR LINKS VILLAGES

The Norton Connector has been running Monday to Friday continuously since mid-September with the exception of a break over Christmas and the New Year. The service resumed on 4th January. Apart from the regular 4 times daily between Tesco St Peters and Parkway Station, we now offer an option to extend the route into Worcester City and the hospital/doctors surgery. Initial response to this is very favourable albeit we live in Covid times and passenger numbers overall are low. The return route from Parkway is via Littleworth, Norton, St Peters Garden Centre and Brockhill village. The optional extension on Monday/Wednesday/Friday is to Crowngate, Newtown Road GP surgeries and Worcester Royal Hospital.

Our service providers, Worcester Wheels, ably supported by Wychavon DC and the County Council have enabled us to do this even through the lockdown. Not surprisingly passenger numbers are low, but despite this we are keen to continue with the service and support our small band of loyal users while we wait for better times.

Our funding is still as originally granted by Wychavon DC which is sufficient to keep the service going until summer 2021. Beyond that we will need further support and we (Norton-juxta-Kempsey Parish Council) will be addressing that in the coming months. Any thoughts you have on possible sponsors we can approach would be very welcome.

For more detail of the service please see the parish council website www.nortonjuxtakempseyparishcouncil.org

John Waizeneker (Norton-juxta-Kempsey)

GROWING CAMPAIGN FOR HALF FARES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Vale Public Transport Group has joined forces with Pershore Town Council to campaign nationally for the introduction of half fares for 16-18 year olds wherever they may live and whether travelling on buses, trains or coaches.

Various studies have shown that it is our young people who are likely to suffer most in the jobs market post Covid and the contraction in the economy. Many who are employed work in the hard- pressed retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. Even those finding work may have to travel further from their homes to lower paid jobs at the start of their working careers or to further education establishments.

Both local MPs Harriett Baldwin and Nigel Huddleston and the Rail Delivery Group have been contacted and an encouraging response indicating that a review of fares as part of a wider review of the rail industry is under consideration has been received from Huw Merriman, chair of the All Party Select Committee on Transport.

It is now almost half a century since the school leaving age was raised in 1972 and the age limit for national half fare concessions last raised to 16 and VPTG and Pershore Town Council are now planning to broaden the campaign to include other councils, MPs of all parties and opinion formers.

FIRST MIDLAND RED PLANNING FOR BUS SERVICES POST COVID

Young people’s concessionary fares and our campaign for half fares on buses and trains for all 16-18 year olds were top of the agenda at a “Zoom” meeting with First Midland Red in late January with VPTG represented by Helen, Bob and myself.

Our friend Nigel Eggleton, MD at FMR, indicated that bus companies were free to fix their own fares unlike the train companies and their surveys had shown that such a generous discount might not be necessary to attract back young people to using the buses. Worcs. County Council were continuing to fund all school services. Existing X50 Worcester-Pershore-Evesham services would survive despite the significant decline in all travel. Various studies had shown that it could be 12-18 months until 75- 80% of former usage returned post pandemic.

Recovery partnerships were currently in progress between bus companies and local authorities and a national bus strategy was due to be published at the end of February. It was also likely that the results of a County Council bus study of services in the Wychavon area delayed by planning for the Covid disruption would be published shortly.

VALE GROUP CAMPAIGNS FOR BETTER BUS/RAIL LINKS

Growing interest in the potential for improved bus/rail co-ordination and interchange is evident as both industries seek to attract back passengers after the effects of lockdowns which has seen traffic levels drop to as little as a fifth of pre Covid levels.

As this newsletter went to press Vale Public Transport Group was due to meet David Strunz, Assistant Regional Development Manager with Great Western Railway at both Pershore and Evesham rail stations to discuss improvements in bus/rail information, services and better co- ordination between the upgraded hourly service on the and existing bus services. All the following services could be promoted/improved to encourage regular local and longer distance commuting traffic as well as providing excellent links for visitors, tourists and leisure travel. The services involved are:

* X18 Evesham – Bidford – Stratford-upon-Avon (half hourly from Evesham Station)

* R4 Evesham – Broadway (approx. two-hourly from opposite rail station)

* 566 Pershore PlumLine (hourly services to the town pass rail station)

* 564/5 Village Hopper (three daily services e/w link local villages with Pershore town/station)

VPTG continues its campaign for County Council – as public transport authority – to recognise the potential to improve bus/rail information and publicity and extend/tweak services to improve connectivity and provide additional interchange facilities and GWR involvement is very much welcomed.

Julian Palfrey

PERSHORE FILM HISTORIAN HELPS MARK ANNIVERSARY

Pershore film archivist Michael Clemens is due to present one of his popular evenings of “Steam Through the Cotswolds” film nostalgia at Honeybourne Village Hall on Friday, 21st May at 7 pm.

The evening is part of a series of special events currently being planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the reopening of Honeybourne Station back in May 1981 and the film evening will mark the actual date of the official opening on 22nd May 1981 and include footage on the local Hereford-Worcester- and Stratford-Cheltenham routes.

Flags, banners, a brass band, civic dignitaries and children from Honeybourne School were there to greet 47 510 “Fair Rosamund” as it hauled the reopening train into the platform – just over 12 years after the station – and the line to Stratford-upon-Avon – originally closed on 5th May 1969.

The date of the film evening in the present circumstances is of course provisional and dependent upon adequate easing or removal of present lockdown restrictions. Admission at £5 is likely to be by ticket only. Please contact Julian Palfrey on 01386 561198 or by e-mail to [email protected] if you would like to attend.

Julian Palfrey

Vale Public Transport Group and the Environment At the moment we are all pretty much occupied with the pandemic and looking forward to the brighter days of Spring and Summer. However, the issue of the environment remains firmly at the front. In November Cop 26 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) will take place in Glasgow hosted by the UK. The UK is com- mitted to net carbon zero (greenhouse gas emissions to net zero) by 2050, one of the first countries to do so which has major implications for transport. Other organisations are accelerating, such as the Church of , to 2030 as a target. Transport is currently the largest source of CO2 emis- sions in the UK (road transport alone contributing some 28% of total emissions). During the first lockdown last year the change in the atmosphere with reduced transport was clear. So what can we practically do now? Promote the use of public transport – this reduces cars on the roads – we know it is difficult at the moment but if possible, use the local bus or train for essential purposes. The rail and bus companies have worked hard to ensure safety with spacing of seats, use of masks, screens and very im- portantly ventilation (open doors, windows). In particular, our services have done a fantastic job continuing with the village and local services. Despite the support for cycling many people are not able for many reasons to use this as a method of transport – don’t feel guilty! When lockdown eases and allowed consider using the bus or train to travel for leisure either for the day or for a short break in the UK. There are plenty of ways of getting inexpensive travel including bus and rail cards and checking the relevant websites, some are noted below. There are plenty of local rail stations in the Vale to use for multiple destinations, often with a co-ordinating bus service. In summary, there are many journeys either local or more distant by bus or rail to enjoy whilst helping the environment. A relaxing way to travel – view the lovely scenery of our country – and enjoy.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” (Henry Miller) Helen Whitwell

NOSTALGIA CORNER

Vintage Bus/Rail Links at Pershore Station - 1964 style!

I am intrigued by the bus – it looks to me like a Bedford OB coach and is certainly in British Railways livery with the fleet number 1203 W visible on the original print. At that date would it have been red and cream or chocolate and cream? Principal Western Region coaching stock was usually chocolate by then with the rest likely to be maroon as it replaced “blood and custard” in 1956. Bob Gillmor **NEWSFLASH**

Honeybourne rail users will benefit from a number of extra trains calling at weekends in Great Western’s current plans for the May 2021 timetable.

On Saturdays, the 0950 Paddington to Hereford will serve Honeybourne and the station will also be served by no less than for additional trains on Sundays – the 1046, 1246, 1446 and 1646 trains from London Paddington. All Sunday services in the up direction from Worcester to Paddington already serve the station.

CONTACT US

Website: www.vptg.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

Chairman: Julian Palfrey [email protected] Secretary: Helen Whitwell [email protected] Vice-chair: Bob Gillmor [email protected]

TRAVEL ADVICE

If you do really need to travel during the current restrictions, please check with your operator before you do as there may be short-notice changes or cancellations. A few useful websites are: www.nationalrail.co.uk www.gwr.com www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20021/bus_travel

Or use your favourite search engine.

GWR and First Midland Red have good smartphone apps.

**NEWSFLASH TWO**

As this newsletter is being finalised for distribution, we learn that the Government is promising to invest £3 billion in buses outside London. “As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up," Boris Johnson said.

What difference it makes in our area remains to be seen.