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 to in southern . It is funded by Cumbria County Council, First TransPennine Express, Windermere Lake Cruises/Lakeland Motor Museum and District Council with additional support from Virgin Trains, , 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 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 ; 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.

Clare Moriarty (centre) with colleagues at the launch of the new shelter at Windermere station in August, 2014.

The new shelter for passengers transferring from trains to buses at Windermere station.

The First World War Service of Commemoration and the Bike Bus at Windermere station.

SOME STATISTICS  Volunteers, mostly LLRUG and LLCRP members, have again devoted approximately 1,100 hours of their time to the Lakes Line over the past twelve months including 150 hours during the passenger surveys and analysis work. In addition, they contributed about 60 hours on Welcome duties while travelling on summer weekend trains.  Station Adopters (Level 1) have contributed about 200 hours of their time to the line.  The value of volunteer effort devoted to the line can be estimated at about £23,000 for the past year.  Passenger surveys took place over 3 days during Easter and Welcome volunteers greeted passengers on Lakes Line trains during most summer weekends again this year.  Approximately 1,086,000 passengers used the line during 2013 (the most recent ORR figures) compared to 960,000 passengers who used the stations over the previous twelve months. Surveys have shown that about 9% of passengers travel with passes (or no tickets) and this would bring total use of the line to about 1.2 million people. Note: if Oxenholme station is excluded, 665,000 people used the stations on the line in 2013. Compared to 652,000 in 2012.  There were 51,000 unique visits to the CRP website in 2014, compared to 43,000 in 2013 and 21,000 unique visits in 2012.  Total hits on the website also rose from 216,000 hits in 2012 and 445,000 in 2013 to 492,000 in 2014.  The peak month for unique visits to the www.lakesline.co.uk was August with 5,088 compared to July, 2013, with 4,729 and 2,167 in July, 2012.  Compared to the passenger survey in 2013, almost 400 fewer passengers were surveyed in 2014, a reduction of 15%. The surveys also showed a 22% reduction in bed nights on the survey days, possibly reflecting the loss of through trains or changing holiday patterns.  Passenger footfall at stations along the Lakes Line branch has risen by 98% since the beginning of the current franchise: Station 2012/13 2002/03 % Increase

Kendal 224,590 99,550 126

Burneside 17,434 6,213 181

Staveley 47,894 14,997 219

Windermere 374686 215,419 74

TOTAL 664604 336179 98

WHAT WILL WE DO IN 2014 ONWARDS?

Continue promoting the Lakes Line.

 Present the needs of the Lakes Line CRP to franchise bidders following the publication of the Invitation to Tender (ITT).  Work with Cumbria Tourism and TPE to launch and distribute the new “Walks from the Lakes Line” leaflet. This is in a matching style to the Discover leaflets.  Work with TPE and other companies to develop and launch a safety leaflet designed for junior school children.  Participate, with volunteers from the LLRUG, in publicity events in Manchester and Glasgow.  Work with TPE and Network Rail on the design phase for electrification of the line in 2016/17 and in particular regarding increasing the line’s capacity, e.g. developing proposals, including a loop or siding, to increase capacity on the line and bring in more passengers while avoiding additional overcrowding.  Work to resolve the access problems at Staveley station, ideally in advance of electrification of the line which could limit the options.  Continue to press for the re-instatement of through train services between Windermere and Manchester International Airport.  Work with Virgin Trains as they implement station improvements at Oxenholme station.  Undertake further research into passenger trends and needs, and work with Cumbria Tourism on the provision of information in foreign languages.  Promote the onward travel opportunities from the stations along the line and from Windermere in particular.  Publicise the line and the website at every opportunity.  Develop long term station development proposals for from Oxenholme to Windermere.  Host visits to the line by MPs, civil servants and the media.  Continue to seek additional funding for the partnership.  Working in partnership with TPE, Virgin Trains and Cumbria Tourism, to promote the Lake District as a destination for holidays, events and short breaks.  Work with TPE and other partners to review potential development projects at stations as they arise.

Future electrification in 2016/17

Staveley access – still to be resolved.

Community Rail in the City Promoting Cumbrian CRPs (2014 at Preston, Glasgow and Liverpool). at the DfT in London.

Additional passenger facilities at Oxenholme station.

ACCOUNTS – 2014/15 BUDGET

Cumbria County Council acts as the Accountable Body and main banker for the Lakes Line CRP. The financial position outlined below is based on figures provided by Cumbria County Council and approved by the AGM on the 4th September, 2014. The CRP maintains a “petty cash” account for small items of income and expenditure.

The CRP Officer is employed by the County Council but is answerable to the Partnership’s Steering Committee.

The Lakes Line CRP budget is a rolling budget, i.e. rolling over from one financial year to the next.

The financial position for the Lakes Line for 2014/15 is as follows:

Income 2014/15 £ Core funding from TPE, WLC/LMM, Cumbria CC* and SLDC 28,700 C/F from 2012/13 18,085 Grant income (GoLakes, TPE, ACoRP, Burneside PC) 4,000

Total Income 50,785

Expenditure

Staffing and administrative costs 17,000 Publicity, marketing and website 1,500 Projects (Burneside) 2,000

Total Expenditure 20,500

Balance remaining 30,285

In addition, Virgin Trains supports the Partnership with “help in kind” and Network Rail is able to assist with projects.

Note * Includes £20,000 from Cumbria County Council to last until the end of 2015/16.

Note 1) The balance in the LLCRP “petty cash” account remains at about £200.

Note 2) The passenger shelter project at Windermere station was funded by the GoLakes Travel programme and does not appear in the budget figures above.

Note 3) The Welcome to Staveley signs were funded by the Parish Council through the GoLakes Travel Programme, were fitted by TPE and do not appear in this budget.

CONTACTS Chairman Tim Owen [email protected] Vice Chairman Ian Wilkinson [email protected] Secretary Dick Smith [email protected] Community Rail Partnership Officer (part time) Jim Trotman [email protected] Published by the LLCRP, December, 2014.