We’re celebrating #CommunityRailWeek this week, brought to us by the Community Rail Network. We sat down with James Syson, Rail Investment Sponsor Manager at TfN, to find out more about how we’re championing the Community Rail movement!
You can read James’ thoughts below…
From its humble beginnings in the early 1990’s community rail activity is now widespread across Britain and continues to grow. There are over 75 community rail partnerships and over 1,200 volunteer groups across Britain including hundreds of station groups.
The misrepresentation that community rail is just the preserve of rural rail lines, continues to be challenged with partnerships and activity as influential in inner urban areas as much as rural branch lines. Community Rail can apply to InterCity operations as much as regional ones, and large city centre stations as much as remote rural halts.
The focus of community rail activity has also evolved and now covers a much broader range of economic, social and environmental initiatives aimed at supporting the daily lives of passengers and the wider community and local economy.
The North of England can be considered the beating heart of the community rail initiative with more than 70% of the North’s network ‘adopted’ by local volunteers.
There are over 20 community rail partnerships stretching from Tyne Valley in Northumberland down to Crewe in Cheshire.
There are over 350 station groups, carrying out projects to bring improvements to rail services and stations, with improved accessibility and inclusion, and help communities to have a voice in rail and transport development, working with train operators, local authorities and other partners.
This activity in the North is estimated to involve over 3,000 volunteers, giving over 55,000 hours annually to help improve social inclusion, sustainable and healthy travel, wellbeing, economic development, and tourism in their local area, estimated to be valued at £11.7 million.
Investment in Britain’s local railways and their community rail partnerships ultimately offers good value for money not just for railways but for communities in both rural and urban areas.
The partnership between the rail industry and local community can support the development of stations, especially disused buildings for community projects, education and training and commercial enterprise.
The broad range of activity undertaken by Community Rail Partnerships is testament to their innovation and passion. Through literature, poetry, music, art and education, significant issues such as anti-social behaviour, hate crime, gender equality, physical and mental well-being, dementia and autism awareness and climate change are being addressed through community action, often centred on a local station or group of stations.
Transport for the North fully recognises the importance of the role played by the railway in the local community in terms of offering education, training, leisure, shopping and employment trips that address transport poverty, isolation, accessibility and deprivation. Through community rail activity we also recognise how the railways can help shape identity, quality of life, and economic growth.
The development of services, stations and the railway estate to support a variety of community and commercial opportunities is extremely important and often complex, but with willing volunteers, the right financial and technical support and a proactive mindset anything is possible.
Enjoy community rail week and enjoy your local railway – and ensure you take time to give praise to all those wonderful volunteers involved in community rail partnerships, friends of stations and station adoption groups who make a real difference to the look and feel of our railways.
