HEART OF WESSEX RAIL PARTNERSHIP ❧ REPORT DECEMBER 2011 HEART OF WESSEX RAIL PARTNERSHIP 2011 HEART OF WESSEX RAIL PARTNERSHIP 2011 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2011 1. RAIL PARTNERSHIP OBJECTIVES & ACTION PLAN n Passenger journeys doubled over 6 years, and trebled over the last decade, a growth rate four times higher The Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership, supporting the 87 mile rail route from Bristol to Weymouth, brings together than the national average for routes of this type. Total journeys head for c1.7 million by April 2012, up from 565k Bristol City Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES), Wiltshire Council, Somerset County Council, in 2001/2 & 793k in 2004/5, without any change to the number of services. South Somerset District Council, West Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council with the train operator, n Local community involvement includes the contribution of over 8000 hours of voluntary work dedicated to the line First Great Western. over twelve months, with some substantial achievements by both the Community Rail Working Party (CRWP) and The 2003 action plan determined the partnership’s overall objective to raise awareness and use of the Bristol to projects by local groups focusing on the rail line. To an ever increasing degree the communities joined together by Weymouth line through: this rail route have taken joint ownership of their rail line and stations 1) Community Involvement. Widening the partnership to include representatives of local communities and improve n Endorsement of this achievement was received in October 2011 when the Heart of Wessex received formal understanding of, and response to, local needs along the line Community Rail Designation from the Rail Minister and the Department for Transport. 2) Information provision and promotion. Improving quality and availability of information promoting the line and its n Further enhancement of stations and access to them, most notably with the opening of a safe walking route to destinations/local economies, raising the profile of the service as an alternative to the car. the station from Thornford village, further work on the Castle Cary walking route and improvements to facilities 3) Stations. Improve station environments and facilities, and access to them by other modes of travel. and promotion for the new bus link in Yeovil. Since 2003, almost every station on the line has been “adopted” by local community groups and these and other n CRWP Highly Commended both for Outstanding Teamwork and Best Community Rail Event (the Local Food Train) in voluntary initiatives aimed at adding value to the work of the train operator have been encouraged, facilitated the national community rail awards in 2011. and supported by the partnership. Since 2003, 140 projects from over 40 different community groups have been assisted with small grants from Partnership’s Community Grants Fund. The COMMUNITY RAIL WORKING THE ISSUES WE HELP TO ADDRESS See especially: PARTY (CRWP) of local voluntary representatives from the stations and communities along the line has, since its ECONOMIC GROWTH: Supporting economic regeneration and growth. 2.2. Promoting the Line (page 7) establishment in 2003, grown to become the principal “engine” for much of the practical work of the partnership, Attracting visitors locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to 2.2.1. The Line Guide (page 7) meeting quarterly with the train operator and Network Rail to progress local station, service, customer information destinations along the route, including a focus on local independent 2.2.2. Local Food Promotion (page 8) and promotional work. businesses and produce and “insiders guides” to local retail and Feature box: The value added by station leisure. adoption (page 6) 2. PROGRESS AGAINST ACTION PLAN IN 2011 2.1 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Over 8000 hours of CARBON REDUCTION / tackling climate change. Stimulating 2.2. Promoting the Line (pages 7&8) Action plan objective: “Widening the partnership to include representatives of voluntary work behavioural change by encouraging more use of the rail route as an 3. OVERALL RESULTS (page 13) local communities and improve understanding of, and response to, local needs alternative to the car, and both encouraging and facilitating walking to 2.3.3. Castle Cary Walking Route (page 10) along the line” and from stations. 2.3.7. Thornford Footway (page 11) In the last twelve months, with further expansion of the numbers of people making a sustained and regular contribution to the work of the partnership, just over 70 volunteers dedicated 6615 hours to enhancing stations plus a Virtually everything in this report! A mobile task force! But especially further 762 hours on special projects. An additional 30 volunteers contributed an estimated 660 hours to researching, LOCALISM: Building sustainable communities and demonstrating how 2.1. Community Involvement (pages 3-5) leading and promoting walks from the line. A total of 8037 hours of voluntary time was dedicated to enhancing and localism and the big society can work for transport Feature box: Communities and Stations promoting the Heart of Wessex Line over the course of 2011 (pages 5&6) Station Highlights (pages 9-12) 2.1.1. THE COMMUNITY RAIL WORKING PARTY (CRWP) The summer 2011 CRWP was held at 2.2.3. Walking : Wessex Wanderers, Dorset Freshford, where we were welcomed AONB Walks, Website “mini guides”, Line by members of the community who HEALTH: Encouraging active travel and leisure and Guide Car Free Walks edition (page 8) have adopted and transformed their facilitating walking. 2.3.3. Castle Cary Treasure Trail promotion station. Featured on the left of the (page 10) photo is Harry Brown of Network 2.3.7. Thornford Footway (page 11) Rail who was our special guest for the meeting to brief us on the 2.2.1 The Line Guide (Easy to use Line improvement works to the Yeovil to Castle Cary section of the line due to start in the winter of 2011/12. (The story of ACCESSIBILITY: Helping to address accessibility and equality issues, Guide TT in 14pt text) (page 7) those station signs is on page 11) help for new rail users or those with disabilities, and promoting/ 2.3.9. Yeovil Bus Link (page 12) facilitating use of intermodal links. “Insider” guides and tips, Representatives from the communities along the line meet quarterly with managers from First Great Western and e.g. www.brutoncarytrains.co.uk (page 6) Network Rail. The Terms of Reference for the working party specify exclusive participation by those who work proactively and practically to add value to the line. This ensures that working meetings go directly from outlining an issue to an intensive focus on finding joint creative solutions, taking a collaborative approach to developing new ideas and sharing experience. 2 3 HEART OF WESSEX RAIL PARTNERSHIP 2011 HEART OF WESSEX RAIL PARTNERSHIP 2011 3 The CRWP is not simply a quarterly forum for feedback to the Projects must meet one or more of five basic criteria rail industry; it is a working party with a collegial approach. The managers from FGW including Julian Crow and our enthusiastic stations manager Dave Martin (right)1 treat the voluntary contributors as colleagues, sharing information with them to a degree that they may not be able to do elsewhere. This empowers the participants, and a deeper understanding of the working of the railway helps both to manage expectations and to increase enjoyment of their voluntary contribution. The CRWP helps to make optimum use of managementOver 8000 time hours by distilling of out the key issues, and team members have learned that it is not possible to solve everyvoluntary problem. The workdemands that are dropped by general consent are a vital part of the process of concentrating resources on the main priorities. The majority of grants are for equipment and supplies for station gardens (including planters, water butts, strimmers To a significant degree this team have taken joint ownership of their line and stations and have a powerful and etc). Applications for community notice boards or other items to help effective influence on the vitality of their railway line. local rail users and visitors are particularly encouraged, and local publications and websites At the July CRWP, the Friends of Frome mentioned difficulties coping with their also qualify for support. Larger scale projects are also possible, with an example in 2011 A mobile task force! adoption scheme. Howard Smith from the Friends of Bruton put forward the of the running in board and visitor welcome poster at Avoncliff. Special events, including suggestion that everyone should pitch in to help, an idea that had an enthusiastic support for the Wessex Wanderers Guided Walks programme, are another important use response, resulting in the CRWP’s first joint team clean up at Frome in August, repeated at Trowbridge in November of the fund, and in 2011 it was also used to support the Local Food Train, Castle Cary with some of the same volunteers. Four new members have joined the CRWP specifically offering their help with any Community Tourism Group and the Thornford Footway Opening event. joint projects of this nature that come up along the line – a new development for the group. The Frome Volunteer Task Force, led and briefed by MIKE FRANKLIN: Ann Light & Sylvia Popham, Bristol; Rosemary Buchan, Westbury; Rob Brown, Bradford on Avon; Roger Newman, Trowbridge; Friends of Frome: John Leach, Gerald Quartley, Colin Stoate and Rose Heaword; Howard Smith, Bruton; Jeff Mowlam, Dorchester West; Terry Putnam & Peter Meech, Upwey and Andy Hutchings, Weymouth. Impressed to hear of the initiative, Network Rail teams from Westbury and Swindon rallied to help, bringing two flatbed trucks (which we filled up!) and tackling the COMMUNITY RAIL AND STATIONS track work off limits to volunteers: Dan Smith, Dave A large part of the community contribution is to stations – enhancing the environment and improving the Fisher, Paul Butland, Kevin Bishop, Chris Joyce, customer experience.