Citizens' Rail

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  • Citizens’ Rail projects win national awards

    Citizens’ Rail projects win national awards

    Three projects supported by Citizens’ Rail have been recognised at the UK’s Community Rail Awards.

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    The award ceremony was held in Scarborough on Thursday 2nd October, and was organised by The Association of Community Rail Partnerships. Speakers included Baroness Kramer, Minister of State for Transport, and Paul Salveson, a leading light of the community rail sector in the UK.

    Outstanding Teamwork

    First prize in the Outstanding Teamwork category was awarded to partners involved in rebuilding Dawlish station after the devastating storm damage it sustained in February 2014. Pictured at the top of this article collecting the award are Citizens’ Rail Riviera Line Officer Celia Minoughan (second from left), Margaret Swift and Phil Bagshaw of the Friends of Dawlish Station (third from left and second from right), and First Great Western station manager Ian Mundy (third from right). The award was presented by Nick Donovan, Managing Director of First Transpennine Express (left) and Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Northern Rail (right).


    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Read about Citizens’ Rail’s involvement in reviving the station.


    Innovation in Community Rail

    In the Innovation category, first prize went to The Riviera Line website developed as part of Citizens’ Rail to encourage more people to take the train between Torbay and Exeter. The site is believed to be community rail’s first “responsive” website – resizing to suit PCs, tablets and smartphones. Its content is tailor-made to help non-users to overcome barriers to travel.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Visit the website.

    Best Station Gardens and Large Floral Displays

    To complete a hat trick of awards, third prize in the Best Station Gardens category was awarded to the transformation of Torquay Station garden by Robert Owen Communities and First Great Western. Working twice a week in all weathers, the station platforms have been transformed with planting on an English Riviera theme including reclamation of a large rockery. The project has not only improved the look and feel of Torquay station but has allowed the young people to gain confidence, social interaction and nationally recognised qualifications to help them into employment.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Read about Citizens’ Rail’s involvement in the project.


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    Congratulations to Community Rail Lancashire

    Congratulations also go to Citizens’ Rail partners Community Rail Lancashire, whose “Young persons’ passport to safe travel” project won the Involving Young People category. Our colleagues in Lancashire have an excellent track record in engaging children and young people in their railway.

    Children from one of the schools they work with gave an outstanding presentation to EU partners at Burnley Manchester Road’s new station building in July. And soon as part of Citizens’ Rail, the same children will be taking a train journey to Aachen, our German partner city, in a fantastic example of transnational learning and collaboration. More news on this soon.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Read about the passport to safe travel scheme.

  • Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    What brings a speech therapist, a parents’ association representative, a Deputy Mayor and numerous others together in their town hall? Their station of course!

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    As part of Citizens’ Rail, consultation has been in full swing this summer in seven villages and towns in the Pays de la Loire who want to safeguard the heritage of their unused railway buildings by transforming them into lively, thriving community hubs.

    Région Pays de la Loire and consultants Erea led workshops at the start of July in each local area. Mayors and councillors invited local stakeholders along to discuss possible uses for station buildings left vacant after the closure of ticket offices. Attendees included elected officials, business figures, local residents and many more – all taking part in productive brainstorming sessions.

    Around the table, ideas swiftly took shape for possible uses of the stations: as a cycle hire facility, exhibition space, sales point for local businesses (selling organic vegetables, pastries and other farm produce), library book exchange, tourism installation, extension of a speech therapy clinic, local museum, extra space for a youth club, a medical centre, and more.

    The sessions led to the emergence of ideas that would not have been generated in any other way. Each locality is now developing its own way forward to progress the project. At Voivres-lès-le-Mans, a municipal steering committee has been created, and staged a large public meeting in September with the villagers.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Update – Between now and spring 2015, as the first part of their rejuvenation, Région Pays de la Loire is installing secure bicycle parking at several of the rural stations. Read more



  • Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    What brings a speech therapist, a parents’ association representative, a Deputy Mayor and numerous others together in their town hall? Their station of course!

    [divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]

    As part of Citizens’ Rail, consultation has been in full swing this summer in seven villages and towns in the Pays de la Loire who want to safeguard the heritage of their unused railway buildings by transforming them into lively, thriving community hubs.

    Région Pays de la Loire and consultants Erea led workshops at the start of July in each local area. Mayors and councillors invited local stakeholders along to discuss possible uses for station buildings left vacant after the closure of ticket offices. Attendees included elected officials, business figures, local residents and many more – all taking part in productive brainstorming sessions.

    Around the table, ideas swiftly took shape for possible uses of the stations: as a cycle hire facility, exhibition space, sales point for local businesses (selling organic vegetables, pastries and other farm produce), library book exchange, tourism installation, extension of a speech therapy clinic, local museum, extra space for a youth club, a medical centre, and more.

    The sessions led to the emergence of ideas that would not have been generated in any other way. Each locality is now developing its own way forward to progress the project. At Voivres-lès-le-Mans, a municipal steering committee has been created, and staged a large public meeting in September with the villagers.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Update – Between now and spring 2015, as the first part of their rejuvenation, Région Pays de la Loire is installing secure bicycle parking at several of the rural stations. Read more



  • Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    Reviving local stations in Pays de la Loire

    What brings a speech therapist, a parents’ association representative, a Deputy Mayor and numerous others together in their town hall? Their station of course!

    [divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]

    As part of Citizens’ Rail, consultation has been in full swing this summer in seven villages and towns in the Pays de la Loire who want to safeguard the heritage of their unused railway buildings by transforming them into lively, thriving community hubs.

    Région Pays de la Loire and consultants Erea led workshops at the start of July in each local area. Mayors and councillors invited local stakeholders along to discuss possible uses for station buildings left vacant after the closure of ticket offices. Attendees included elected officials, business figures, local residents and many more – all taking part in productive brainstorming sessions.

    Around the table, ideas swiftly took shape for possible uses of the stations: as a cycle hire facility, exhibition space, sales point for local businesses (selling organic vegetables, pastries and other farm produce), library book exchange, tourism installation, extension of a speech therapy clinic, local museum, extra space for a youth club, a medical centre, and more.

    The sessions led to the emergence of ideas that would not have been generated in any other way. Each locality is now developing its own way forward to progress the project. At Voivres-lès-le-Mans, a municipal steering committee has been created, and staged a large public meeting in September with the villagers.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Update – Between now and spring 2015, as the first part of their rejuvenation, Région Pays de la Loire is installing secure bicycle parking at several of the rural stations. Read more



  • Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    One of our German partners, Stadt Aachen, has shared a fantastic concept – children’s birthday parties held at Cologne station to give youngsters a “behind-the-scenes” tour of one of the country’s busiest stations.

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    The parties last for three hours and include child-friendly talks by railway staff, the chance to visit the cab of a train and to receive a tour of off-limits parts of the station – as well as the obligatory birthday cake of course!

    For the railway, an important aspect of the parties is the opportunity to not only inspire children about travelling by train, but also to educate them about railway safety.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more on Verkehrsclubs Deutschland’s website, www.BahnRadWeg.de (German language).

  • Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    One of our German partners, Stadt Aachen, has shared a fantastic concept – children’s birthday parties held at Cologne station to give youngsters a “behind-the-scenes” tour of one of the country’s busiest stations.

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    The parties last for three hours and include child-friendly talks by railway staff, the chance to visit the cab of a train and to receive a tour of off-limits parts of the station – as well as the obligatory birthday cake of course!

    For the railway, an important aspect of the parties is the opportunity to not only inspire children about travelling by train, but also to educate them about railway safety.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more on Verkehrsclubs Deutschland’s website, www.BahnRadWeg.de (German language).

  • Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    One of our German partners, Stadt Aachen, has shared a fantastic concept – children’s birthday parties held at Cologne station to give youngsters a “behind-the-scenes” tour of one of the country’s busiest stations.

    [divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]

    The parties last for three hours and include child-friendly talks by railway staff, the chance to visit the cab of a train and to receive a tour of off-limits parts of the station – as well as the obligatory birthday cake of course!

    For the railway, an important aspect of the parties is the opportunity to not only inspire children about travelling by train, but also to educate them about railway safety.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more on Verkehrsclubs Deutschland’s website, www.BahnRadWeg.de (German language).

  • Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    Great idea from Cologne: kids’ birthday parties at stations

    One of our German partners, Stadt Aachen, has shared a fantastic concept – children’s birthday parties held at Cologne station to give youngsters a “behind-the-scenes” tour of one of the country’s busiest stations.

    [divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]

    The parties last for three hours and include child-friendly talks by railway staff, the chance to visit the cab of a train and to receive a tour of off-limits parts of the station – as well as the obligatory birthday cake of course!

    For the railway, an important aspect of the parties is the opportunity to not only inspire children about travelling by train, but also to educate them about railway safety.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more on Verkehrsclubs Deutschland’s website, www.BahnRadWeg.de (German language).

  • Citoyens, associations et municipalités se mobilisent pour faire revivre leur gare

    Citoyens, associations et municipalités se mobilisent pour faire revivre leur gare

    Une orthophoniste, un représentant de l’association des parents d’élèves, un Maire-Adjoint ? Mais qu’ont-ils en commun pour se réunir avec une dizaine de participants à la mairie? Leur gare bien sûr !

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    La concertation bat son plein début juillet dans 7 communes des Pays de la Loire qui veulent prendre à bras le corps le devenir de leur patrimoine ferroviaire bâti pour en faire des lieux vivants, conviviaux et propices à la rencontre.

    Accompagné par son prestataire, le cabinet conseils Erea, la Région des Pays de la Loire a mené début juillet des ateliers de concertation dans chacune des communes concernées par le projet. Maires et conseillers municipaux ont invité les forces vives de leur territoire pour réfléchir ensemble les pistes d’utilisation possible des locaux de la gare laissés vacants après la fermeture du guichet : élus locaux, associations, producteurs, agence d’urbanisme, professions libérales, représentants de sociétés, simples citoyens… tous participent à la séance de brain storming.

    Autour de la table, les idées fusent : location de vélos, salle d’expositions, point de contact commercial (vente de légumes bio, viennoiseries, drive fermier…), lieu de distribution et d’échanges de livres de la bibliothèque, permanence touristique, extension du cabinet d’orthophonie, musée local, annexe de la maison des jeunes, création d’une permanence médicale…

    In fine, le travail de groupe a permit de faire émerger les idées auxquelles on n’aurait pas pensé tout seul. Chaque commune s’organise pour adopter sa propre gouvernance du projet. À Voivres-les-Le-Mans (Sarthe), un comité de pilotage municipal est d’ores et déjà constitué avant l’organisation d’une grande réunion publique en septembre avec l’ensemble des habitants du village.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] D’ici le printemps 2015, la Région des Pays de la Loire implante dans plusieurs des gares rurales des stationnements sécurisés pour les vélos appelés cyclo-blocs. Rapides et pratiques, les cyclo-blocs vous évitent de devoir monter avec votre vélo dans le train. Plus



  • Cycle parking installed at rural French stations

    Cycle parking installed at rural French stations

    Region Pays de la Loire is working to revitalise rural stations and enhance the La Roche – Bressuire line as part of Citizens’ Rail. The latest step is the installation of bicycle parking at a number of stations.

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    Bicycle parking bays have now been installed at Boussay (part of the rural stations project), and at La Mothe-Achard and Olonne-sur-Mer on the La Roche – Bressuire line.

    A further seven stations will soon also be equipped with the new facilities. Watch them in action: