Cambrian Railway Partnership
What is Community Rail?
Community rail is a growing grassroots movement made up of community rail partnerships (CRPs) and groups across Britain.
Working alongside local, regional and national partners, CRPs engage communities and help people get the most from their railways, promoting social inclusion, community wellbeing, economic development and sustainable travel.
They also work alongside train operators, contributing to improvements and bringing stations back to life. (Source Community Rail Network)
The Community Rail Network
Community Rail Network provides support and advice to the community rail movement through their membership. They share good practice and connect community rail partnerships and groups together, while working with government, the rail industry, and the wider voluntary and community sector to champion community rail. (Source Community Rail Network)
The Cambrian Railway Partnership is an accredited CRP which is a formal recognition by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Welsh Government that a CRP operates to a high standard and with objectives and activities that are supported by Government. The accreditation system is administered by Community Rail Network and applies to those CRPs operating in England and Wales.
About the Cambrian Railway Partnership
The Cambrian Railway Partnership has been in existence for over 20 years. The partnership covers a wide area, spanning 120 miles and 34 stations from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and up the Wales Coast to Pwllheli.
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Ceredigion County Council are the current host and financial management authority for the partnership which is funded by Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast and Shropshire County Council.
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Claire Williams is the Community Rail Officer for the Cambrian Railway Partnership. She says:
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“I have worked for the partnership for 5 exciting years and what I love most about the job is the opportunity to support so many different people and organisations within the communities along the beautiful Cambrian Lines.”
A steering group for the Cambrian Railway Partnership oversees the activities of the partnership and meet monthly. The steering group is made up of a wide range of member organisations including government bodies, voluntary organisations, tourism agencies, heritage rail companies and transport operators.
Our Activities
Our vision for community rail is that local communities become fully connected with their railway. We provide a voice for the community, help to promote sustainable, healthy and accessible travel. We bring communities together, supporting diversity and inclusion and we support social and economic development, connecting communities with places and opportunities. We work in partnership with many other organisations and join up their respective expertise to achieve this.
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Our activity plan reflects our vision and promotes the seven goals in the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the four pillars of the DfT Community Rail strategy.
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Examples of our core activities for the year 2022/23 include:
Walks for Wellbeing – recreational walks from stations across the breadth of route from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the coastal route to Pwllheli.
Cambrian Railway Community Development Fund – Grants of up to £1,500 are available for community projects that alleviate social isolation and/or improve health and wellbeing (read more).
Sustainability at Stations – Support Transport for Wales in the station adoption scheme and incorporate sustainability at stations for example, insect-friendly/edible food planting and station/community artwork incorporating recycled materials.
Give the Train a Try – We will work with 3rd sector organisations and community groups to encourage rail travel for hard-to-reach groups.
Other activities and projects include bilingual ‘Author’ days in schools, create new Station Community Hubs and promoting the Cambrian Railway Heritage.
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If you would like to get involved or wish to know more about our community rail activities, please contact claire.williams@ceredigion.gov.uk.
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Cambrian Line report for 2021/22
Every year the partnership publish an Annual Report of the activities achieved throughout the year. Click here to read the Annual Report for the Cambrian Railway Partnership 2021/22.
