LAKES LINE COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP Annual Report for 2014 The Lakes Line Community Rail Partnership works with local communities to improve the stations and train services along the line. Published December 2014 WHO ARE WE? The Lakes Line Community Rail Partnership (CRP) covers the route from Oxenholme to Windermere in southern Cumbria. It is funded by Cumbria County Council, First TransPennine Express, Windermere Lake Cruises/Lakeland Motor Museum and South Lakeland District Council with additional support from Virgin Trains, Network Rail, Cumbria Tourism and the Lake District National Park Authority. We work closely with the Lakes Line Rail User Group (RUG) plus local businesses, councils and organisations. The Lakes Line CRP was founded in February, 2006, and was designated as a Community Railway in April, 2008. The partnership has continued to develop through 2013/14, completing some projects and anticipating the requirements for a new franchise in early 2016. The Community Rail Partnership Officer, Jim Trotman, has been in post since July, 2010. Officers and Staff (from 4th September, 2014, AGM) Chairman: Tim Owen Vice Chairman: Ian Wilkinson Secretary: Dick Smith Community Rail Partnership Officer (part time): Jim Trotman The Lakes Line; The Lakes Line CRP covers the Oxenholme – Windermere part of the route that extends as far as Manchester International Airport (MIA). The CRP takes a close interest in services along the West Coast Main Line and the stations where services connect to those running on the Lakes Line. WHAT DO WE AIM TO DO? The aims of the Lakes Line Community Rail Partnership (LLCRP) are: To identify potential growth markets for the rail service. To assist in the development of rural businesses directly or indirectly served by the railway. To support station development projects along the line and act as a catalyst for other projects. To work positively with other transport providers. To work with the tourism industry to promote use of rail. To ensure that the railway is an active participant in local regeneration strategies. To identify new potential stakeholders in the community. To work with community organisations to harness people's energies and creativity. To participate in community based events and activities which promote the local railway. To identify and secure external funding for projects which meet the CRP's vision, aims and objectives. To pursue the provision of greater train capacity to meet the demand created by targeted marketing activity. The LLCRP has the following key objectives: To increase usage of the line through implementing the Community Rail in Cumbria: Strategic Directions report. To secure funding for LLCRP post and projects. To embed the Lakes Line in local transport and tourism strategies. To reach new markets. To respond to changing circumstances including timetable changes and franchise renewal in order to achieve the best possible service on the line. To ensure that the CRP has a distinctive local identity and creates strong links with the local community. To develop a long term strategy out of discussions with stakeholders. These will be achieved through implementing the annual Strategy and Action Plan, 2014/15 which was approved by the Partnership on the 10th June, 2014. Robert Talbot, Chairman of the Lakes Line RUG (left) with Cllr. Geoff Cook, chairman of Cumbria County Council; Emma Moody of the Lake District National Park; the Mayor of Kendal; Dick Smith, Secretary of the Lakes Line CRP and RUG, and; Jim Trotman, CRP Officer, at Kendal station. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR 2014 It is a time of change for railways in the North West, with large amounts of investment already announced for electrification schemes and the development of the Northern Hub around Manchester. Added to that is the re-franchising of the TransPennine Express (TPE) and Northern franchises, which will take place from February 2016. However, the announcement at Windermere station on 28th November by Baroness Kramer (Minister of State at the Department for Transport) that the Lakes Line is to be electrified, hopefully by 2017, has been a welcome boost for the many people who rely on this vital transport link to visit the Lake District. The announcement also referred to the importance of keeping Windermere connected with Manchester Airport, which is a key factor for attracting visitors from abroad. This good news has come about through much good work from the local community and I should like to take this opportunity to thank those people and organisations who have taken the trouble to write to the Department for Transport to express their support for the line and the importance of maintaining connectivity to Manchester. The Department for Transport's re-franchising consultation document was issued in June and proposed that Lakes Line services should be transferred to the Northern franchise. The CRP has responded strongly to the DfT's proposals, believing that it would be wrong to assign services to Northern when, potentially, the majority of traffic (i.e. through passengers from beyond Oxenholme) will be supplied by other rail businesses i.e. Virgin's and TPE's Scottish services. On a positive note, it has been pleasing to see the continuing developments along the line, including the integration with other forms of public transport as a result of the work by the GoLakes travel initiative. It was a pleasure to be able to accompany Claire Moriarty, Director General of the DfT's Rail Executive, when she visited the line on 27th August. A beautiful summer's day was truly enhanced by the tremendous turn out from the CRP's partners, who were proud to highlight the progress that had been made in using Windermere as a hub to facilitate enhanced access to the Lake District National Park by sustainable means of transport. Train operator, TPE, must also be congratulated for actively taking on board and cooperating with these developments. It is extremely important that the CRP works with future operators of the Lakes Line to build on the legacy left by this initiative, which will ensure that public transport remains a realistic means of accessing this very special area. I should like to conclude by thanking the CRP's partners for their continuing support during 2014, and also officers of the CRP for devoting their time and effort to ensure that the CRP functions efficiently. Finally, my thanks go to Jim Trotman, our CRPO, for his work throughout the year, and to the Lakes Line Rail User Group for its enthusiastic help and assistance in promoting the line. Tim Owen Chairman ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2014 Members of the Lakes Line Community Rail Partnership have worked together to achieve the following improvements for passengers on the line during 2014: On Friday the 28th November, 2014, the CRP had the exciting news that the line would be electrified at a cost of about £16 million by early 2017. Minister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer, visited the line and gave us the confirmation that electrification would take place. A new shelter for passengers transferring from trains to buses was installed at Windermere station as part of the GoLakes Travel programme and was officially opened on the 27th August by the Director General of the Rail Executive at the Department for Transport, Clare Moriarty, and Cllr. Geoff Cook, Chairman of Cumbria County Council. Local MP Tim Farron has been pressing for the investment in the line and has raised questions in Parliament and has written to the Secretary of State for Transport. His efforts have been very helpful in securing electrification for the line. The Lakes Line CRP and the Lakes Line RUG both responded in detail to the DfT’s consultation about the new franchise that is due to operate the line from the end of February, 2016. These responses were submitted by the August deadline and stressed the need for through train services to Manchester and MIA. The lakesline.co.uk website has continued in popularity and had 491,714 hits and 50,990 unique visits during the last year with a peak of 5,088 unique visits during August, 2014. This compares to 216,000 hits/21,000 visits in 2012 and 445,000 hits/43,000 visits in 2013. Following the success of the new planters at Windermere station, installed in the summer of 2013, two new planters were also installed at Kendal station in May, 2014. First TransPennine Express has installed new LED information panels at stations along the line including Windermere, Staveley and Burneside. Press events took place during the visits to the line by political figures and senior civil servants with coverage in local newspapers. New Welcome signs and finger posts, funded through the GoLakes Travel programme, have been installed at Staveley during October, 2014, in preparation for the 2015 holiday season. The lack of lighting on the station access road at Burneside is now being resolved and the new street light is being installed during December, 2014, thanks to grants being arranged through ACoRP and Burneside parish Council. Members of the CRP and the RUG helped to staff the promotional stands at Community Rail in the City events at Liverpool, Preston and Glasgow in May. This was made possible due to help from Virgin Trains, TransPennine Express and Network Rail. A service was held at Windermere station to commemorate a member of staff who died in 1916 during the First World War. New planters and art panels at Kendal railway station – Kendal was very successful in the Cumbria-in-Bloom competition. Baroness Kramer with Tim Farron MP (to her right) and colleagues from the Lakes Line CRP and Rail User Group, from TransPennine Express, Network Rail, Cumbria County Council and South Lakeland District Council at the announcement of the line’s electrification in 2016/17.