Community Rail

The development of Community Rail is endorsed in the Government White Paper The Future of Rail, published July 2004. Community Rail Development Strategy covers local and rural lines and provides a broad framework within which they can be developed. The Strategy lists 56 routes which the Strategic Rail Authority propose to designate, and makes up 10.5% of the national network. It is designed to improve the value-for-money and social value of local and rural railways in three ways –

      • Increasing ridership and income
      • Greater community involvement
      • Managing costs down by better use of rolling stock

Achieving the objectives of the strategy depends on partnership and active support from a wide range of stakeholders including local authorities, users and community groups.

Lancaster District Local Plan has a range of policy statements which lend support to the development of the Community rail strategy.

It stops construction that would prejudice rail halts at Hest Bank or Mossgate, Heysham, but it also recognises that potential for additional sites exists at Westgate and Bailrigg.
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Lancashire County Council’s Draft LTP2 contains important statements which promote the provision of new railway stations to encourage the dramatic increase in the number of people who travel by rail.
The LCC Headline Target in the document says
 “by 2016, increase patronage from stations in Lancashire by 75% based on 2001 levels”

The Hest Bank Junction to Heysham section of our local railway network is identified as one of the 56 routes provisionally designated as a community route.
The development of Community Rail will be especially significant in light of the targets set in the LTP, the desire to meet targets relating to removing congestion, and the need to meet environmental targets which have international obligations.

Northwest Regional Development Agency’s Business Plan identifies significant funds (£10m between 2005 and 2008) for “Connectivity” projects, and mentions rail access improvements to ports specifically. The timetable is very short for action to be taken. Project delivery plans are to be developed and agreed by December 2005. The first phase of funding will be committed by March 2006.

TSLM urges a partnership of stakeholders to be formed to pursue this element of the alternative solutions. Such a partnership might include –Lancashire County Council, Lancaster City Council,Rail User Groups, SRA, NWRDA and others.

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