Association of Community Rail Partnerships Annual Report 2012-13 Prizewinners at the 2012 Community Rail Awards From The Chair This was a challenging year for ACoRP, balancing another successful awards evening in Swindon last September with an acute awareness of the increasing difficulty faced by many of our members in sourcing funding. Devolu- tion, LEPs and LTBs bring new challenges to be addressed and new opportunities to seize. It is pleasing to note too that four new partnerships took root during the year. Our office move from Slaithwaite to the renovated water tower at Huddersfield station was frustrating in detail but was successfully concluded in November; however, this was achieved only at the expense of much addition- al staff and board time and effort. A particular word of thanks goes to those behind the scenes who assisted so much with this endeavour. Alongside our continuing daily work with members, industry and government in England and Wales our com- pass expanded this year to include community rail in Scotland. Early days yet, but a great sense of anticipation is attached to this exciting new development. Much continues to be done to spread the message of community rail, including seminars, conferences and press releases; plus of course our annual high profile event ‘Community Rail in the City’. A great deal occurs also that is neither apparent nor immediately visible, including negotiations with govern- ment and funders. The board of ACoRP met on four occasions during the year 2012-13, and the Finance & General Purposes Committee on another four occasions. Without the ongoing support of board and committee members and our committed and hard working staff team our achievements would be so much the less. My thanks to you all for all that you do for ACoRP and all our members. Peter Roberts, MBE Chairman, ACoRP May 2013 Annual Report 2012-13 I General Manager’s Report for the year ended 31 March 2013 Late 2012 was a time of great change for ACoRP as we Assisting with Delivery of the Community Rail finally moved into our new office outside Huddersfield Development Strategy railway station. The grade 1 listed water tower has been created as an exemplar of environmentally-sound con- ACoRP continued to provide help and guidance to the version of a historic building and includes photo-electric increasing number of Designated Lines in support of the cells creating electricity and air exchange equipment DfT’s Community Rail Development Strategy. During providing heat. Part of the European-wide CAP’EM 2012-13 there have been two new designations: the Avo- project, principal funding came from the EU’s Interreg cet Line, between Exeter and Exmouth; and the Bentham IVb programme, with further support from the Railway Line between Skipton, Lancaster and Morecambe. There Heritage Trust, who helped fund the external renovation have also been three expressions of interest in designa- work. Network Rail and First Transpennine also contrib- tion from the Yorkshire Coast Line (Hull – Scarborough), uted to this innovative project. The move went very well the Hope Valley line (Manchester – Sheffield) and the indeed and the ACoRP staff are delighted with their new Glossop line (Manchester – Hadfield/Glossop) premises. The only problem we faced was being let down by Open Reach, who somehow managed not to install Providing Training for New Project Officers our new phone lines for four months! ACoRP continues to provide training for new CRP With an eye on future development and sustainability, officers as and when required and ran a training session the ACoRP Board continues to refine the ‘New Challeng- in October 2012. Working with the IRO (Institute of es’ document, which it hopes to have completed early in Railway Operators), the organisation also arranged a 2013-14. Meanwhile, passenger loadings continue to rise professional training day for existing CRP officers. En- inexorably, with some of our CRPs now becoming gen- titled ‘An Introduction to the Rail Industry’, it provid- uinely concerned about over-crowding, something that ed a deeper insight into the operation and practices of Beeching and Marples, whose infamous report reached the modern railway. This was considered to be a great its 50th anniversary in March 2013, could not have im- success by those who attended and we hope to be able to agined in their wildest dreams.. develop this as a series of sessions in due course. Thanks go to ACoRP’s Operations Manager, Brian Barnsley, for Network Rail has also stepped up to the plate with its managing to arrange this alongside the many other tasks Alternative Solutions Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), he has to perform in his busy schedule! which looks at alternative, cost-effective technical options for rural and local lines and features an entire section on community rail and Community Rail Partnerships. Much of the latter part of the year was taken up with re- franchising, although it all came to nothing as the process imploded in November 2012. The new franchising time- table, released at the end of our year, seems to make a lot more sense and will spread the refranchising load more evenly. For now, the hiatus inevitably leaves ACoRP and its membership in an uncertain place, although it does at least give us more time and space to rethink our strate- gies and how we might best present the value of CRPs to future bidders. Be assured that ACoRP will do its best to champion the cause at a strategic level. Training for New Project Officers: although not strictly relevant to the 2012-13 reporting year, this photograph does introduce our new Scottish Development Officers, Linda Ferguson and James Wilkin (centre) at their ‘induction’ in May 2013 in our refurbished premises in the water tower. Chairman Peter Roberts (left) and Gordon Macleod of Transport Scotland (right) complete the picture. II Annual Report 2012-13 Seminars and Events to Producing Quality Operating Small Grants Promote Community Rail Publications Schemes A key task for ACoRP during the ACoRP has continued to produce ACoRP continues to maintain a year is to help spread best prac- its house magazine Train Times number of grant funds on behalf of tice and this is done at a local level although it has proved increasingly its members and has awarded the through advice and information difficult to fund. With costs of both following grants to CRPs during given electronically or by personal printing and postage spiralling and 2012-13: visits. A wider audience is also ad- electronic communication becom- English Small Grant Fund (provided dressed by means of our publications ing the norm, it was decided to by the DfT): 57 grants worth a total Train Times and Train on Line, as review the way we disseminate our of £26,080 well as a series of conferences and information. seminars. Welsh Small Grant Fund (provided It was agreed that Train Times by the Welsh Government): 8 grants The annual members’ seminars were should become bi-annual, focussing worth a total of £20,280 held early in 2012, followed by a predominantly on in-depth features. station adopters’ seminar in July. More time-specific information The Designated Community Rail The 2012 Community Rail Awards such as news items and comment Development Fund (provided by took place at ‘Steam’ in Swindon would be moved into an expanded DfT, Network Rail and ACoRP): 39 and were once again well-attend- version of our monthly electronic grants worth a total of £90,824 ed by an enthusiastic audience! In newsletter Train on Line, formerly ACoRP also continues to hold a contrast, however, with funding cuts for members only, which would grant fund on behalf of train oper- beginning to bite, it proved difficult be mailed out to a wider audience. ator East Coast and which is being to attract sufficient delegates to our The new arrangements are due provided as a franchise commit- November conference on communi- to be introduced in early 2013- ment. This fund supports four CRPs ty involvement at stations and it was 14. Philip Jenkinson continues to which adjoin or are in close prox- reluctantly postponed until 2013. produce these quality publications imity to the East Coast Main Line, A positive note was struck by our and supplies us with some splendid in addition to supporting some of first seminar in Scotland. Having comments and introductions from ACoRP’s other work, most notably seen the success of community rail in time to time! the Community Stations Initiative. both England and Wales, Transport On behalf of the DfT’s Community Developments in Scotland will also Scotland felt it was time to explore Rail Steering Group, ACoRP pro- introduce a Scottish Small Grants the possibilities it may offer to Scot- duced a report on affordable waiting Fund. Worth £20,000 pa, it will help tish lines. After a number of months shelters and the cost-drivers associ- provide ‘seed-corn’ funding for new exploratory work, ACoRP was finally ated with them. A revised Station projects, although it will only be awarded a three-year funding pack- Adoption Handbook is also being available to newly-formed commu- age to help facilitate community rail produced and expected to be availa- nity rail partnerships that have been development in Scotland, the first ble in early 2013-14. approved by the Transport Minister. output being a well-attended seminar in Leith entitled ‘An Introduction to Community Rail’. The year concluded with the annual Designated Line Seminar, held in Southampton and run jointly by ACoRP and the DfT. It’s a tribute to the organisational and fundraising skills of our Events Organiser, Hazel Bonner that ACoRP’s calendar of events and seminars goes so smooth- ly every year! First Impressions: Stations are gateways between the railway and the community.