Extra funding announced for rural stations by the Government
Passengers on rural and regional rail services across the
country are set to benefit from a £60,000 fund for Community
Rail Partnerships, Rail Minister Tom Harris announced today.
The new Designated Community Rail Development Fund will help
deliver improvements to make a real difference at local stations,
such as more seats at stations, cycle parking and better
information for passengers. It can also help fund awareness
campaigns to encourage more people to use these lines.
Rail Minister Tom Harris said "This extra funding will support the
small projects that can make a big difference to passengers using
rural routes and will help Community Rail Partnerships provide
services that really benefit their local community."
Community Rail Partnerships promote and develop the railway
services for local people and will apply to Association of
Community Rail Partnerships for the funding. A full list of the
Community Rail Partnerships eligible for funding can be found
below. All partnerships working on these lines can apply to the
fund for a grant of up to £5,000 per route.
Jerry Swift, Network Rail's Account Director for Community Rail,
said "Network Rail has seen real improvements around the network as
a result of the work of Community Rail Partnerships. We are
delighted to be able to support this initiative and we are looking
forward to seeing some innovative schemes that benefit rail users
and local people. Delivering a railway that meets local needs is
key to seeing the network develop."
Neil Buxton, General Manager at ACoRP said "Community Rail
Partnerships can deliver a lot from very little and I am pleased
that we are working with the Department and Network Rail to get
this project off the ground. Local rail is thriving in many parts
of the country and with continued work we expect it to grow further
over the next few years."
Stephen Sleight, Transport Officer at Bedfordshire Rural
Communities Charity, said "We are very pleased that the Department
for Transport have offered us the opportunity to bid for this fund.
We think that projects like the station walks leaflet, planned by
the Hidden Britain initiative, could significantly benefit from
this extra funding. The Community Rail Partnership will work hard
to ensure that the Marston Vale Line gets its fair share!"
The following Community Rail Partnerships are eligible to apply
for funding:
Abbey Line: St Albans - Watford Junction, Hertfordshire
Atlantic Coast Line: Newquay - Par, Cornwall
Barton Line: Barton-on-Humber - Cleethorpes, North
Lincolnshire
Bittern Line: Norwich to Sheringham, Norfolk
Clitheroe Line: Clitheroe - Manchester, Lancashire and Greater
Manchester
Derwent Valley Line: Matlock - Derby, Derbyshire
Esk Valley Line: Whitby - Middlesbrough, Teesside and North
Yorkshire
Gainsborough Line: Sudbury - Marks Tey, Suffolk and Essex
Island Line: Ryde - Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Lakes Line: Oxenholme - Windermere, Cumbria
East Lancashire Line: Preston - Colne, Lancashire
Looe Valley Line: Looe - Liskeard, Cornwall
Maritime Line: Falmouth - Truro, Cornwall
Marston Vale Line: Bedford - Bletchley East, Milton Keynes and
Bedfordshire
Medway Valley Line: Paddock Wood to Strood, Kent
Penistone Line: Barnsley - Huddersfield, South and West
Yorkshire
Poacher Line: Skegness - Grantham, Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire
Severn Beach Line: Bristol - Avonmouth - Severn Beach
South Fylde Line: Preston - Blackpool South, Lancashire
St Ives Bay Line: St Ives - St Erth, Cornwall
Tamar Valley Line: Gunnislake - Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall
Tarka Line: Exeter - Barnstaple, Devon
Wherry Lines: Norwich - Great Yarmouth and Norwich - Lowestoft,
Norfolk and Suffolk
Notes for Editors
1. The Community Rail Development Strategy looks at innovative
ways of operating local branch lines, through a programme of cost
management, a drive to increase passenger numbers and direct
community involvement via local authorities, community rail
partnerships, and other stakeholder groups.
2. The scheme is jointly funded by the Department for Transport,
Network Rail and the Association of Community Rail Partnerships
(ACoRP)
3. Each year in May a series of local events staged on community
rail lines around the country come together to achieve national
profile through Community Rail Weekend. This year the weekend of
16th to 18th May sees over 50 activities organised by partnerships
and often run by volunteers. For details of what is happening
around the country go to www.acorp.uk.com and click on
Events.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
The Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership is led by Bedfordshire
Rural Communities Charity in association with Bedfordshire County
Council, London Midland, Milton Keynes Council, Bedford Borough
Council, Mid Bedfordshire District Council, Bedford to Bletchley
Rail Users’ Association, the Forest of Marston Vale and the
Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Associations of Town and Parish
Councils.
The Partnership has been set up to act as a bridge between the
rail industry and the community to encourage more people to use the
train for travel to work and leisure, and to share their views and
ideas for improving their railway.
The Partnership will be overseeing a range of projects throughout
2008, including special trains for the Bedford River Festival on
12th – 13th July.
Printer
friendly version of this page
E-mail
this page to a friend