Our latest transnational partner meeting took place in Devon this week. It included site visits to a thriving Community Station in Crediton, as well as several stations on the Riviera Line (Exeter to Paignton). Here is a snapshot in pictures…
Mark Langdon from Network Rail shares his ideas in one of our interactive workshop sessions. Topics discussed by our partners from the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands included our upcoming “how to” manual on the Citizens’ Rail approach, methods of surveying rail users and non-users, and updates from each of our local projects.
At Crediton station (on the Tarka Line between Exeter and Barnstaple), our partners heard from The Friends of Crediton Station and the owner of the station’s tea rooms, who explained how community involvement can transform the appearance of a station, reduce vandalism and sustain a successful local business. The use of the old station house as the tea rooms is especially relevant for our work looking at how to revive disused station buildings in rural areas of Pays de la Loire.
On our site visits to stations on the Riviera Line, we were joined by representatives from First Great Western, Devon County Council and Torbay Council, who discussed local aspirations and challenges with the visiting partners.
Our visit to Torre station coincided with the busy end-of-school rush. The station will be one of the targets of our station improvement programme – more news to follow soon.
At Dawlish our partners got a glimpse of the serious damage sustained in recent storms which means this crucial section of the main line into Cornwall continues to be closed (read the latest on the Network Rail website). The smaller photos show a bus being used as a temporary waiting room outside the station. Citizens’ Rail will be helping the line to bounce back when it re-opens, through a major marketing campaign, station improvements and community engagement work.
