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Recommended service - hourly, according to the GWRUS. Let's work towards that service and towards ensuring all services are used.
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Author Topic: More Community Rail Designations  (Read 1731 times)
Lee
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More Community Rail Designations
« on: September 29, 2007, 04:39:21 PM »

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Lee
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2007, 10:54:55 AM »


One of challenges facing the Medway Valley Community Rail Partnership is how to keep Beltring station open. It is due to close in 2009 (link below.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltring_railway_station

Well , I'm pleased to say that they havent given up , and want YOUR help :

The Medway Valley Line Community Rail Partnership was set up to help raise awareness of and the profile of the line which in recent years had perhaps received less promotion and attention than it should have done.
 
The Partnership membership comprises local authorities, town and parish councils, the rail companies, bus operators and other interested parties. It is hosted by Action with Communities in Rural Kent, a Registered Charity, based at 15 Manor Road, Folkestone, CT20 2AH.
 
By working together, we aim to find new ways to market the line, enhance personal security, improve integration with other forms of transport and improve station environments.
 
The net goal of course is to encourage greater use of the line by local people and visitors to the area.
 
Beltring station is by far the quietest station on the line and is remotely placed - and having no nearby post office or library I have arranged for our literature to be available at the local Blue Bell pub.
 
If you have any suggestions for the improvement of Beltring station, please do let me know, as we are currently updating our action plan for the coming year. You will probably be aware that the station has recently received a complete repaint by Southeastern - into their new corporate colours.   
 
Yours sincerely
 
Ian Paterson
Community Rail Partnership Project Officer
Medway Valley Community Rail Partnership
01303 850816 office
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Graham Ellis
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2007, 11:58:48 AM »

Beltring station is by far the quietest station on the line and is remotely placed - and having no nearby post office or library I have arranged for our literature to be available at the local Blue Bell pub.

I note the above.  Although Melksham station is far from remote (it's in the middle of an industrial area!) it suffers badly from having no post office or library nearby .... and there isn't a pub either.    Shows just how badly provided for Melksham is - ticket sales are (or were, until last year!) an order or magnitude higher then Beltring
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Lee
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2007, 04:29:04 PM »

By the way , the closure of Beltring station was confirmed by just one line on Page 35 of the link below.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/ikf/integratedkentfranchisestake3338
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Lee
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2007, 04:53:36 PM »

Reply from David Hibbs of the DfT :

"There are no current plans for works at this station - though there are things happening on the wider line.

The Designation will not necessarily trigger actions at any individual station - the aim is to give more flexibility to the operator and the local community rail partnership to carry out works. In a number of parts of the country the CRPs have been able to tap into local and wider regional resources to bring about improvements."
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Lee
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2007, 04:50:21 PM »

More from David Hibbs :

"There are no plans to take forward the closures of Swale or Beltring and the Government is committed to maintaining the existing network of lines - so it is now for the industry and communities to make sure that we get best value from the network."

"SouthEastern will shortly be presenting us with their revised SLC2 proposal. We are not expecting any significant changes to the current Maidstone West - Paddock Wood (ie basically  hourly with peak additionals), however I cannot rule that out change at this stage and we would want to consider any proposals for change seriously. As a community rail route I would expect to discuss any proposals this with the CRP.

Likewise Swale is part of the half-hourly Sittingbourne to Sheerness all stations service, and I am not expecting any significant changes to be proposed, but again I cannot rule it out at this stage. All Swale stops are request stops."
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Graham Ellis
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2007, 08:19:20 PM »

By the way , the closure of Beltring station was confirmed by just one line on Page 35 of the link below.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/ikf/integratedkentfranchisestake3338

That looks like a "sneak it in to a remote part of the document" ... sounds very familiar, seeing as the complete withdrawl of the Swindon to Southampton service was also a one liner.

Are there and FOI documents yet to show whether the DfT tried to pull the SRA trick and minimise consultation within the statutory limits, and hold the consultation in parallel with the tendering for the contract that the consultation was supposed to be about?
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Lee
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Re: More Community Rail Designations
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2007, 03:09:06 PM »

By the way , the closure of Beltring station was confirmed by just one line on Page 35 of the link below.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/ikf/integratedkentfranchisestake3338

That looks like a "sneak it in to a remote part of the document" ... sounds very familiar, seeing as the complete withdrawl of the Swindon to Southampton service was also a one liner.

Are there and FOI documents yet to show whether the DfT tried to pull the SRA trick and minimise consultation within the statutory limits, and hold the consultation in parallel with the tendering for the contract that the consultation was supposed to be about?

I put in FOI requests to both the DfT and ORR (who would have to approve any closures under the new guidance) and both said that they had no documents to release.

On sneaking the Beltring (and Swale) closures into the document , the original plan was to provide "parliamentary" (once a week) services to both stations , but according to the SRA "after consultation" they decided to close both stations completely.
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