Community Rail Partnership for the Main Line??

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I have always throught it a bit odd that "Community Rail Partnerships" just look(ed) after the branch lines. They originated out of the obvious 'need' to stimulate traffic via ownership on services that were struggling to carry more that freah air around - fair enough - and have grown a little from that.   But why not take them all the way through to commuter and main lines, where a sense of ownership and community can do no harm that I can see, and could do plenty of good.

So I am delighted to read about what may be the first main line community rail partnership

From The Courier

An initiative aimed at boosting the Highland Perthshire economy by encouraging more people to travel by train has been launched.

The new Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership (HML CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership)) celebrated its launch at an event at Pitlochry Station.

[ChrisB]

Oooh, we must try again.

Several years ago, The local stations between Oxford & Banbury tried to form a CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) and were rebuffed for "being on a mainline".....

[grahame]

Oooh, we must try again.

Several years ago, The local stations between Oxford & Banbury tried to form a CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) and were rebuffed for "being on a mainline".....

Definitions and criteria have changed over time.  There has been some  tightening of the application of guidelines over the years, but also some relaxations - and one of the major concerns (in the past) has been the desire to ensure that 'signups' are there for the longer term. So that fact that a group says "again" acts in its favour in this case, rather than against it because of precedent.  I would be happy discuss our experiences ... (that offer open to others I know are interested too)

[JayMac]

The Severnside CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) covers a large mileage of mainline from Gloucester to Taunton and Bristol to Bath.

Arguably, the Cotswold Line is also mainline as it has Class 1 services end to end.

[ChrisB]

Arguably, the Cotswold Line is also mainline as it has Class 1 services end to end.

But it isn't a CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership)....

[grahame]

The Severnside CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) covers a large mileage of mainline from Gloucester to Taunton and Bristol to Bath.

And Heart of Wessex CRP also covers - err - Bristol to Bath 

Both cover significant none-main-line mileages and station groups too, though.

We're not talking that further step of designation here, but as an illustration of how things have changed, there were originally designated lines, and the designated service category was added later to cope with little services on big lines.

[JayMac]

Arguably, the Cotswold Line is also mainline as it has Class 1 services end to end.

But it isn't a CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership)....

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group is a full member of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. It's activities match those of other full ACORP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) members. Therefore, I'd say it is one.

[IndustryInsider]

Amusing acronym you've created with your bold letters in that last post, BNM.  Accidental...?   

[ChrisB]

.

[JayMac]

Amusing acronym you've created with your bold letters in that last post, BNM.  Accidental...?   

 

Yep, accidental. Perils of using word processing app on phone for two things at once. I was typing a document and I'd set it to bold the first character in a numbered list. Sometimes use the same app for forum posts, then cut and paste, as it can be a nightmare composing posts here on an Android device. I get some strange things happen in the forum text boxes from time to time. Seems I've found another one.

[eightf48544]

Do we know what stations the Highland line CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) covers. As it was held at Pitlochry I presumme Perth to inverness.

What about the Kyle and Wick/Thurso lines they would seem ideal for a CRP?

[ChrisB]

Amusing acronym you've created with your bold letters in that last post, BNM.  Accidental...?   

 

Yep, accidental. Perils of using word processing app on phone for two things at once. I was typing a document and I'd set it to bold the first character in a numbered list. Sometimes use the same app for forum posts, then cut and paste, as it can be a nightmare composing posts here on an Android device. I get some strange things happen in the forum text boxes from time to time. Seems I've found another one.

But can't be a*rsed to edit it now it's been pointed out? Hmmm

[paul7575]

The 'Three Rivers' CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) that started out looking after the various minor stations of the 'Romsey 6' service on the Salisbury - Eastleigh via Chandler's Ford has subsequently brought Redbridge, Millbrook, Swaythling and St Denys into their coverage.   Does that count as main line in this context?

Paul

[grahame]

Do we know what stations the Highland line CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) covers. As it was held at Pitlochry I presumme Perth to inverness.

What about the Kyle and Wick/Thurso lines they would seem ideal for a CRP?

The article says:

The HML CRP includes the scenic rail route from Dunkeld and Birnam to Carrbridge, taking in Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore, Kingussie and Aviemore.

and it's called the Highland Main Line CRP, so its probably not the lines beyond Inverness.

CRPs were very much an English thing until a quite recently.   But looking back to the start of last year, only one English CRP has joined ACoRP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) to my knowledge, and a number of Scottish ones.  Perhaps we'll see the Kyle line and / or the Far North line getting into the CRP fold ... although I think both have groups / passenger associaitions / supports already, so benefits may be limited - or might even be detrimetal in terms of fragmenting supporters of the line between too many organisations.

[eightf48544]

Thanks Graham, so it's basically the stations on the Highand Mainline between Perth and Inverness exclusive.