Rail passengers in the north west set for bigger say
Glossop and Buxton lines have been designated as community rail services.
Passengers in the north west will have more say on how local rail services are run after the designation of the Glossop line and the Buxton line each as a community rail service, Rail Minister Norman Baker announced today (25 July 2013).
Designation of the line between Glossop and Hadfield to Manchester and Buxton to Manchester will enable train companies to work more closely with the community rail partnership to better design services to meet local needs.
Rail Minister Norman Baker 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 these 2 latest community rail service designations. Today’s designations are a major step towards helping the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership work closely with local groups to provide innovative and more cost effective rail services for their community.
Alan Chaplin, Interim Managing Director for Northern Rail, which runs services on the route, said:
We welcome the designation of the Glossop line and the Buxton line as community rail services. These routes are integral to the area and the designation will help them to prosper, benefiting local people and visitors to the region.
Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Chair of the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership said:
I welcome the announcement that the Glossop and Buxton railway lines are now to be designated by the Department for Transport. These designations bring well-deserved recognition for the exhaustive work of the partnership over many years to improve these stations and services for our community.
Notes for editors
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.
To date, 19 lines with their services have been designated as community rail lines:
- St Ives Bay Line: St Erth to St Ives July 2005, selected as one of the 6 pilot projects
- Abbey Line: St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction July 2005, selected as one of the 6 pilot projects
- Esk Valley Line: Middlesbrough to Whitby July 2005, selected as one of the 6 pilot lines
- Tamar Valley Line: Plymouth to Gunnislake September 2005, linked with Looe Valley as one of the 6 pilot projects
- Looe Valley Line: Liskeard to Looe September 2005, linked with Tamar Valley as one of the 6 pilot projects
- Penistone Line: Barnsley to Huddersfield September 2005, selected as one of the 6 pilot projects
- Island Line: 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 February 2007
- Bittern Line: Norwich to Sheringham September 2007
- Lakes Line: Oxenholme to Windermere April 2008
- South Fylde Line: Blackpool South to Preston April 2008
- Lymington Line: Brockenhurst to Lymington July 2008
- Preston to Ormskirk Line: Preston to Ormskirk September 2011
- Avocet Line: Exeter St David’s to Exmouth September 2012
Additionally, 15 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 6 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 to 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 to Bishop Auckland January 2011
- Heart of Wessex Line: Bristol to Weymouth October 2011
- Mid Cheshire: Chester to Manchester via Northwich January 2012
- Furness Line: Barrow-in-Furness to Carnforth June 2012
- Bentham Line: Leeds to Morecambe/Heysham Port October 2012
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