27 July 2010

Transport leaders join MPs to press case for extra train carriages

A special delegation of Greater Manchester’s transport leaders and MPs met with Theresa Villiers, Minister of State for Transport, on Monday to press the case for providing extra carriages on the area’s train services.

Leading members of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) joined MPs Mark Hunter, John Leech and Graham Stringer for the meeting, which aimed to highlight the need to tackle overcrowded trains as a matter of urgency.

Councillor Ian Macdonald, Chair of GMITA, was joined by Councillor Keith Whitmore, Vice Chair of GMITA, and Councillor Andrew Fender, GMITA’s Labour group leader, for the meeting.

Councillor Macdonald said: “This meeting allowed us to get our points across clearly, and explain the importance to the regional economy of addressing the overcrowding that many passengers already experience on a daily basis.

“The situation is that there is already an overdue need to tackle this problem, but we also need to capitalise on the growth in passenger numbers witnessed in recent years to ensure that our rail services can keep on growing and play an important part in supporting economic growth.

“It was a positive meeting and I am confident that the Minister has a very clear understanding and appreciation of our position – which is that this is a problem that we simply cannot afford to ignore and leave unaddressed.”

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Vice Chair of GMITA, said: “This goes to show that we are not resting on our laurels when it comes to addressing this important and pressing issue. Instead, we are ensuring that it is being given due weight and attention.

“We appreciate that the Government is carrying out a spending review and that decisions on such matters will have to wait until the autumn – but, rest assured, we will continue to demonstrate the strength of feeling across the political spectrum on this issue in the meantime.”

Mark Hunter MP, who chaired the meeting, said: “It was important to put our case directly to the Minister, and she can be in no doubt we will continue to press our case strongly.

“It’s simply unacceptable that so many people have to tolerate over-crowded conditions when travelling by train.”

The new ‘eco’ station building at Accrington is nearly complete. It is due to be finished next week and then Northern Rail will carry out their fit out of the booking office. It is envisgaed that the new station will open to the public in early September.

Accrington Eco station nears completion (RW)

The first issue of a new newsletter for the Clitheroe Line has been published. The newsletter has information regarding the strenghtening of some of the peak services on the Manchester to Clitheroe route that the Greater Manchester Integrated Ttransport Authority (GMITA) has championed and the Department for Transport has sponsored. The additional trains being used are the ones released when the Manchester to Oldham line closed for conversion to a new Metrolink Tram line. The strengthening means extra capacity on some of the busiest services and also sees the notorious 15.40 departure from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe upgraded from a 1 x 153 unit to a 1 x 150 unit.

The newsletter also explains what the Clitheroe Line Community Rail Partnership is and who is involved and a little about the work they carry out. The newsletter is available at manned stations on the route and will also be handed out to customers on the train.

To download a copy of the On The Line Issue 1 – Summer 2010 newsletter click HERE.

Unfortunately due to engineering works between Hellifield and Carlisle on Sunday 17th October the DalesRail season has had to be cut short and the final Sunday will now be 10th october 2010. A revised brochure will be available shortly to download.

The East Lancashire CRP is pleased to announce that its latest application to the Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund (DLCRDF) has been successful. The money will be going to create ‘interpretation boards’ at stations that have access to the newly opened Padiham Greenway.

The Padiham Greenway is a new circular walking and cycling route has been developed in East Lancashire which links to the River Calder Greenway and the towpath of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal to form a circular route.  The Greenway also has a ‘branch’ to the 17^th century Gawthorpe Hall a National Trust property famous for its furniture and the nationally important Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth textile collection.

 The route has been designed to create as far as possible an off road route for pedestrians and cyclists.  From Padiham the route uses the former railway line which has been properly surfaced and is lit for most of the route.

The Padiham Greenway links to the East Lancashire line at three locations namely Hapton, Rose Grove and Burnley Barracks.  Whilst the Greenway has been developed mainly for recreational use it does form a secure cycle route from Padiham to the East Lancashire line and will therefore be useful to commuters.

This project is about developing new markets for the East Lancashire Line linked to the Greenway.  Padiham is about 2 miles from the East Lancashire line and up to now it has been difficult for walkers and cyclists to access the line safely.  This route changes that and the ELCRP wants to develop the use of the route for recreational uses and also as an alternative way for residents in Padiham to access the line – especially cyclists.

The funding from the DLCRDF will focus on the following:

• Provision of attractive information panels and maps at Hapton, Rose Grove and Burnley Barracks showing the Padiham Greenway, related links, and how to access it from the station;
• Provision of branded signage from the station to the Greenway;
• Improved cycle parking facilities at Hapton and Rose Grove; and
• Use the Community Rail Lancashire and East Lancashire CRP websites to market the link.

The Greenway was officially opened on June 24 2010 and this was celebrated by a cycle ride around the route by 30 school children and led by Brian Haworth, Community Rail Development Officer with Lancashire County Council.

The Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund is supported by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and ACoRP.

Northern Rail is pressing ahead with its Community Ambassador Scheme. A recent meeting of the Steering Group agreed a funding package and the East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership has been successful in its bid to the Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund for its share of contributions.

The Community Ambassador Scheme stems from a similar project initiated by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and outlined at the ‘Working with Diverse Groups’ conference organised by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) in May 2008. DLR’s parent company were keen to roll out the project and looked to Dr. Paul Salveson, then with Northern Rail, to come up with a proposal to try it in the North of England.

The proposal was to have a 12 month pilot scheme targeting five stations on the west side of Northern Rail’s empire. The stations chosen were Lockwood, Rochdale, Hyde, Blackburn and Brierfield and the plan is to recruit the Community Ambassadors from the target communities and they will be employed by Northern Rail.

The Community Ambassadors role will be to engage with the local community to identify the barriers that prevent people from using the rail network – in effect taking the railway ‘out’ to the community rather than expecting people to come ‘in’ to the railway.  They will develop a high profile in their communities through attending community events such as parent and toddler groups, coffee mornings etc and by visiting health centres, community centres, schools, pubs and other places where people meet.

Having made contact with local people, the Community Ambassadors will show them how to find out about train times & fares; show them how to get to the station, purchase a ticket and then take them on a train ride.  In turn the new ‘converts’ will hopefully spread the message to their friends and relations who will equally then be encouraged to try the train. At the same time the Ambassadors will undertake audits of key routes from the local area to the station to identify any physical barriers or where improved signage or lighting might help people feel more secure.

The two target areas in East Lancashire are Blackburn (Bastwell & Little Harwood), where the Clitheroe Line and East Lancs CRPs already work closely with Daisyfield School which has strong links with the predominantly second generation Asian population. Brierfield, towards the eastern end of the Preston to Colne line, is a small market town with a history of cotton production with the huge Tunstill’s Mill building towering over the station. Now disused, the mill built by Henry Tunstill once housed 2000 looms with 87000 spindles. The population in Brierfield has a strong Muslim background and it is this area where we would see the Ambassador working the hardest.

Northern Rail has appointed a Project Manager in the shape of Eddie Fisher, a local conductor based at Blackpool North, who has been seconded on a 12 month contract. Northern Rail are looking to advertise, interview and appoint the Community Ambassadors during July with a start to the project proper in August.

The Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund is supported by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and ACoRP.

The brand new ‘Discover the South Fylde Line’ marketing brochure was launched on Blackpool North station during the Community Open Day celebrations on Saturday 5th June 2010. The Open Day was the first time an event like this had been held in Blackpool and it was well supported with Northern Rail, the South Fylde Line Community Rail Partnership, ACoRP, Rail User Groups, Heritage Railway Societies and Blackpool Tourism all on hand to give information to visitors. 

The event was was free but visitors were asked to donate to two charities; Donna’s Dream House, a local holiday home for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses and Railway Children, an international charity working for runaway and abandoned children who live in and around the world’s railway stations. The event raised a total of £240 which was equally split over the two charities.  

Also at the Open Day were a number of enthusiasts showing their collections of railway photographs and railway memorabilia. The event was opened by the Town Crier who also welcomed the Fylde Coast Express, a steam excursion hauled by Duchess of Hamilton.

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the Discover the South fylde Line brochure.

Discover the South Fylde Line

There are no further planned engineering works during June 2010, but there are enginnering works in July that will affaect the following lines:

Blackpool to Colne

Sunday 15th August to Friday 20th August 2010
Monday 23rd August 2010 to Thursday 26th August 2010

There are works that will affect late evening and early morning services between Blackpool and Colne in July and August.

Details of other engineering works affecting the rail network can be found by visiting Northern Rail or the National Rail websites.