The 2012 Acorp Community Rail Awards (See Inside for the Full Story)
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Train Times No. 66 - Autumn 2012 News, views & features from the world of Community Rail The 2012 ACoRP Community Rail Awards (See inside for the full story) INSIDE THIS ISSUE: • Regional Round-Up • Community Rail Festival • Lancashire CRPs profiled • Arrivals and Departures Hello and Welcome... Regional Round-Up In this issue… As I write this, an issue is What’s going on in your neck of the woods Page 2 Hello and Welcome developing over the award of the Pages 3/6 Regional Round-Up West Coast franchise and it’s “Welcome to the Lakes” Pages 7/11 Community Rail Awards worrying that such flaws can Page 11 Community Rail Festival appear in the franchise process. Oxenholme Station is the recipient of a new 12 metre Pages 12/13 Partnership Profile – Lancashire CRPs However, ACoRP and Community long sign, welcoming visitors to Southern Lakeland. Page 14 Arrivals and Departures Rail in general are fortunate enough to be on the periphery, so Page 15 Community Rail Partnerships Project managed by Lakes Line Community Rail we feel it’s best to stand clear of Page 16 Community Rail Diary Partnership Officer Jim Trotman, the sign is a carefully any falling debris. merged picture showing many of the iconic images of the Lake District. Notwithstanding this, it’s been gratifying to see how many bidders for this and other franchises With design by Lavahouse, a Kendal based design have willingly approached us for advice on Community Rail and Principal Funders and Sponsors company which often works with Cumbria Tourism, the how they might interact with the sector in the future. Each sign was made and fitted by Rydon Signs and is spot-lit, Invitation to Tender includes a requirement for bidders to work Association of Train Operating Companies making it equally visible at night and all year round, with and support Community Rail Partnerships, which is DfT Rail whatever the Cumbrian weather. encouraging enough. However, I’ve also been impressed by the East Coast Main Line Co innovation and enthusiasm shown by many of the bidders and Network Rail Funding for the impressive new sign was supplied by this gives me cause for some optimism. Of course, ACoRP will ACoRP, the GoLakes Programme administered by Welsh Government always champion the cause of our CRPs, but we can only do Cumbria Tourism and the Lakes Line CRP, with that at a strategic level – it’s up to you to put meat on the bones The new sign at Oxenholme additional support from Network Rail and Virgin Trains. with realistic and deliverable proposals that bidders consider will strengthen their case and will therefore want to support. The sign, which is already proving popular with Lonsdale MP, Tim Farron, in June 2011. This has now Corporate Sponsors passengers, complements the Oxenholme station art been joined by art on Windermere station at the other Another piece of breaking news is that ACoRP’s water tower project that was launched by Westmorland and end of the Lakes Line. Abellio project is almost finished. We’re still going through the ‘snagging’ process and the IT and phone systems need to be Angel Trains Ltd installed, but we’re broadly there! We hope to move into our First TransPennine Express new home during w/c 12th November and plan to have a formal New murals for Alsager Grand Central Railway Company Limited launch in March 2013. Obviously the move is going to be a major Kirklees Metropolitan District Council task for the ACoRP staff, so we may not be easily available during A stunning new station Alsager was in the news again when it took top Merseytravel this period. Can I therefore ask your forbearance whilst we go mural celebrating Alsager’s spot in the Community Partnership category at Northern Rail through the turmoil of moving office? rail history has been the East Midands Trains Best Station Awards. Transport for Greater Manchester created by North The water tower itself is part of a much larger project called Staffordshire Community The winning station was praised for the active * We welcome additional corporate sponsorship from CAP’EM, funded through the EU’s Interreg programme. The Rail Partnership. involvement and sense of ownership by North the railway industry. Please contact our General principal aim of this project is to investigate and exhibit Staffordshire CRP, working alongside East Manager Neil Buxton if you are interested in alternative building materials and methods that are ‘green’ and The intricate design Midlands Trains and the local community. sponsoring us. which contribute to reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions. features views of the Part of the building will therefore include displays of these station past and present, The judges also commented on the work materials, together with explanations of the techniques and reflecting the vibrancy of completed to transform the station environment, processes involved in their use. The exterior of the building the town and its people, stating that ‘the station was the epitome of meanwhile has been returned to its original condition, with through views of the community engagement.’ Contributors extensive help from the Railway Heritage Trust. The next issue of Mere, Milton Park and Train Times will have a larger feature on this. the busy market, all set This edition of Train Times was edited by against a countryside Nigel Barber ([email protected].) Finally, I have to mention our annual Community Rail Awards background illustrating which, if our inboxes are anything to go by, seem to have been the town’s rural location. Special thanks go to Lucy Tennyson and all of our the best so far! It’s genuinely a treat for me to host this event contributors for their ongoing hard work and and standing on the stage looking at all the expectant faces Painted by professional local artist Anthony Hammond, who support. makes the rest of my year worthwhile. As always, the entries has worked with the CRP on a number of station art pro- were excellent, the winners deserving and the company jects, the colourful mural has helped transform the external wonderful, if occasionally riotous! Thank you to everyone who plain brick wall of the waiting shelter on Platform 1. helped make this happen – the ACoRP staff, the sponsors, the awards entrants and of course, everyone who turned up. We North Staffordshire CRP Officer Faye Lambert said: “The look forward to making the 2013 event in Llandudno better still! idea for the mural came from our great team of station volunteers, all Alsager residents, who wanted to create a Neil Buxton real welcome to the station for passengers in this Jubilee and Olympic year.” General Manager Added Jonny Wiseman, Route Manager for East Midlands Trains: “This is an excellent initiative which we are delighted to support. The mural makes a big difference to the station and we hope all of our valuable station volunteers will enjoy seeing the mural officially unveiled.” 2 3 Regional Round-Up Regional Round-Up Exploring Norfolk and Suffolk by rail NEWS IN BRIEF Dovercourt station garden takes A new guide to enjoying Norfolk and Suffolk by rail has been featured in the guide. The guide includes helpful town maps for shape launched by the Norfolk Community Rail Partnerships. key stops along the routes, details of bus links and information Music trains return to the Poacher Line about special guided walks which are free to all rail ticket Greater Anglia’s Dovercourt station garden has been The new guide to the Bittern Line and Wherry Lines railways – holders and have been scheduled to fit in with train times from The popular music trains are making a return to the transformed, thanks to funding from the Essex and South which run from Norwich to Cromer & Sheringham and Norwich Norwich. Nottingham to Skegness line. Suffolk CRP and ACoRP. to Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft respectively – provides day trippers with information about places to go and things to see The guide can also be accessed using the new Bittern and The trains, which make a special stop at Batemans Brewery in Station adopter Cheryl Thompson came forward with a along the lines and includes details of special events, free guided Wherry Lines app for iPhones and Android. The app is the first Wainfleet, play host to the following artists over the coming striking garden design, following an appeal in the local press, walks and discounts. such product from a CRP and was funded by the Department months: with Sergeant Gavin White then leading a team from the for Transport, Network Rail, ACoRP, Broadland District Council, local barracks to help prepare the garden area. Available at staffed stations along the Bittern Line and Wherry North Norfolk District Council and Norfolk County Council. • Thursday 25 October - Keller Kapella Lines routes, the guide was officially ‘unveiled’ at Norwich • Thursday 29 November - Hairy Mikers A working party organised by train operator Greater Anglia station on 29th August by Chair of the Bittern Line CRP Ted Said Community Rail Norfolk’s Chris Wood: “The Bittern and • Thursday 20 December and including volunteers from contractors Spence and Gadsden, Chair of the Wherry Lines CRP Ian Dinmore and Chris Wherry Lines guide has so much to offer for those looking for – Christmas Carols with the Sleaford Concert Band Community Rail Officer Lucy Ainger then got to work in Wood of Community Rail Norfolk, which produced the guide. a great day out. From beautiful walks along the National Trust’s September to transform the garden into the new design. Cromer Ridge or discovering RSPB reserves, exploring our Normal scheduled service trains are used for the music train Providing colourful accompaniment were dancers from the fascinating market towns and picturesque villages to a fun events between Sleaford and Wainfleet.