Passengers in
Cumbria and North Lancashire will have more say on how local rail
services are run after the service designation of the Furness Line
as a community rail service, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers
announced today.
Designation of the line between Barrow-in-Furness to Carnforth
and on to Lancaster will enable train companies to work more
closely with the Furness Line Community Rail Partnership to better
design services to meet local needs.
Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said:
“I want to encourage communities to become more closely involved
with their railways to help create the services and stations
passengers deserve.
“That’s why I am delighted to announce this latest community rail
service designation. Today’s designation is a major step towards
helping the Furness Line Community Rail Partnership work closely
with local groups to provide innovative and more cost effective
rail services for their community.”
Nick Donovan, Chief Executive of First TransPennine Express, commented:
“This service designation is a first for a line on which our
trains run and I welcome the even closer links between this
company and the Furness Line Community Rail Partnership. Our team
work last year already resulted in a major prize at the Community
Rail awards and I’m sure that even more success can be achieved”.
Ian Bevan, Managing Director of Northern Rail, which also runs
services on the route, said:
“The designation of the Furness Line is fantastic news for the
local community. As this route is integral to the area, its
designation ensures it will be developed to benefit local people
and visitors to the region. We look forward to working with the
community rail partnership to enable the route to prosper as much
as possible.”
Rob Terwey, Chairman of the Furness Line Community Rail
Partnership said:
“Community Rail Service Designation for the Furness Line will
help us to achieve even more for passengers on our line. We look
forward to having greater flexibility and the opportunity to work
more closely with the rail industry, users, local councils and
others to maximise the benefit of rail services and station
improvements around the shores of Morecambe Bay”.
Notes to 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 To date, 18 lines with their services have been designated as
Community Rail lines:
- St Ives Bay Line: St Erth to St Ives June 2005.
Selected as one of the six pilot projects.
- Abbey Line: St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction June
2005. Selected as one of the six pilot projects.
- Esk
Valley Line: Middlesbrough to Whitby June 2005. Selected
as one of the six pilot lines.
- Tamar
Valley Line: Plymouth to Gunnislake September 2005.
Linked with Looe Valley as one of the six pilot projects.
- Looe
Valley
Line: Liskeard to Looe September 2005. Linked with Tamar
Valley as one of the six pilot projects.
- Penistone Line: Barnsley to Huddersfield September
2005. Selected as one of the six pilot projects.
- Island Line: Isle of Wight (Ryde to Shanklin), March 2006.
- Tarka Line: Barnstaple to Cowley Junction Exeter,
September 2006.
- Maritime Line: Falmouth to Truro September 2006.
- Derwent
Valley: Derby to Matlock September 2006.
- East Lancashire Line: Colne to Gannow Junction Burnley
November 2006.
- Gainsborough Line: Marks Tey to Sudbury November 2006
- Barton Line: Barton-on-Humber to Ulceby N. Junction
January 2007
- Bittern Line: Norwich to Sheringham September 2007.
- Lakes Line: Oxenholme - Windermere April 2008.
- South Fylde Line: Blackpool South - Preston April 2008.
- Lymington Line: Brockenhurst - Lymington July 2008
- Preston to Ormskirk Line: Preston to Ormskirk
September 2011
3 Additionally, 13 services have been designated as community
rail services whilst not designating the lines on which they run.
These services are designated when there are reasons why the
infrastructure cannot be included in the designation – because it
carries non local traffic or heavy freight or has previously been
designated as part of the Trans European Network. To date the
following services have been designated:
- Poacher Line: Grantham to Skegness July 2006. Selected
as one of the six pilot projects.
- Atlantic
Coast
Line: Newquay to Par September 2006.
- Marston Vale Line: Bletchley to Bedford November 2006.
- Wherry Lines : Norwich to Yarmouth February 2007
- Wherry Lines: Norwich to Lowestoft February 2007
- Clitheroe Line: Manchester to Clitheroe March 2007.
- Medway
Valley
Line: Paddock Wood to Strood September 2007
- Severn
Beach Line: Bristol Temple Meads - Severn Beach April 2008.
- North Staffordshire Line: Crewe – Derby via Stoke –
on –Trent November 2008.
- Cumbrian
Coast Line: Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness September 2009
- Bishop Line – Darlington – Bishop Auckland January 2011
- Heart of Wessex Line: Bristol and Weymouth October 2011
- Mid Cheshire: Chester and Manchester via Northwich
January 2012
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