A Department for Transport strategy, launched yesterday, sets out how a growing grassroots movement, ‘community rail’, is playing a vital role in helping people to access employment, education and social opportunities via sustainable travel.
The strategy is being enthusiastically welcomed by community rail’s umbrella body, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP), as a firm basis for a partnership working between communities, the rail industry, and government.
Informed by public consultation, the Community Rail Development Strategy sets out the government’s commitment – and role of ACoRP, industry and wider partners – in helping community rail partnerships and groups to flourish and deliver increasing impact under four key themes:
- providing a voice for the community;
- promoting sustainable, healthy and accessible travel;
- bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion;
- supporting social and economic development.
The strategy comes as community rail continues to grow and enhance its impact across Britain, with the guidance of ACoRP, which shares good practice and promotes understanding of the field. There are now 61 community rail partnerships, community-based organisations that run local engagement activities and promote access to rail along whole lines, plus an estimated 1,300 station ‘friends’ groups, which coordinate community gardening and other volunteering activities at stations. Their activities are wide-ranging, but all aim to help communities get the most from their railways, and bring stations back into the heart of communities. New groups and projects are developing all the time.
The role of community rail in creating more inclusive, fair communities, through promoting mobility and bringing people together, has also recently been recognised in the cross-Government strategy on Tackling Loneliness. (see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-launches-governments-first-loneliness-strategy)
The strategy launch took place at Millom Railway Station in Cumbria. The station has been brought back to life with the opening of the Millom Discovery Centre, developed with Community Rail Cumbria. A key feature of the centre is The Rail Room, a heritage-based learning project highlighting the impact rail services had on the industries, and the social and economic development of the area in the 19th and 20th Centuries. This project was funded with assistance from ACoRP’s Designated Community Rail Development Fund.
A few of the community rail projects showcased in the DfT’s strategy, and supported by ACoRP, include:
- Beccles Station, Suffolk (p9), was restored and repurposed by the community through the Beccles and District Regeneration Charity, providing facilities for local community groups and start-up businesses. This includes meeting rooms, WiFi and an activity room – being well used for local talks, meetings, events and fitness clubs – alongside improved access to the station.
- Community Rail Lancashire (p18) helped to develop a case for major infrastructure improvements, the Todmorden Curve and Darwen Passing Loop, which have seen new direct services from Accrington and Burnley into Manchester, significantly improving access to employment, education and leisure opportunities. The community rail partnership also runs a successful Railway Confidence programme (p31), engaging thousands of young people each year, including many with special education needs, to help them feel confident and able to use rail travel.
- Kent Community Rail Partnership (p24) works with local schools to improve awareness of healthy and sustainable travel, enabling and encouraging more pupils to make use of walking, cycling and public transport as they start to travel independently. This includes travel planning, station visits and train trips, and cycling campaigns.
Further information on community rail, and many more case studies, can be found at ACoRP’s website, communityrail.org.uk.
The Community Rail Development Strategy can be found here, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-rail-development-strategy
Jools Townsend, chief executive of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, said:
“We are enthusiastic about this new government strategy, which recognises the growing importance of the community rail movement to mobility, social inclusion, community wellbeing and development. There are hundreds of community rail partnerships and station groups across Britain, working hard to engage local people and ensure they get the most from their railways and stations, and helping rail industry partners to put communities at the forefront. Their work ranges from volunteering and arts activities that bring people together and generate pride, to helping young people and groups with disabilities to access rail travel, to influencing major infrastructure projects that bring increased opportunity. We believe this strategy provides a clear framework for partnership working between communities, the rail industry, government and third and public sector partners. We hope it will encourage more people to get involved, and provide support and inspiration for community rail to further develop its work putting our railways and stations back into the heart of communities.”
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