Citizens' Rail

Tag: community engagement

  • European goodie giveaway to celebrate extra Torbay trains

    European goodie giveaway to celebrate extra Torbay trains

    To celebrate the European role in the improved Torbay train service launched this week, passengers between Newton Abbot and Paignton were yesterday treated to complimentary French, German and Dutch lunchtime snacks on board.

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    The pains aux raisins (made locally by St.Mary’s Bakery in Paignton), Printen from Aachen in Germany and Dutch waffles were chosen to represent the partner countries in Citizens’ Rail. The treats were very well received by passengers, and proved an excellent conversation starter to let people know about the improved service and the wider Citizens’ Rail project that has made the more frequent trains possible as part of the EU Interreg IVB programme.

    More than one hundred sweet-toothed rail users took part over the course of the afternoon – with the pains aux raisins proving to be the most popular morsel of the day.

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  • Passenger surveys on the Riviera Line

    Passenger surveys on the Riviera Line

    If you’re travelling on the Riviera Line in Torbay this week (18-22 November 2013), look out for the passenger survey being circulated by our friendly team – your chance to help us prioritise improvements for the future.

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    The survey (available here as a PDF) gives passengers the chance to tell Citizens’ Rail about their journey and to give us your views about the stations and services on the Riviera Line (Exeter to Paignton).

    It will be followed next week with a passenger count to establish baseline statistics for how many people are currently using the line, before the improved services begin on 9th December.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#d42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-circle-arrow-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more about our Devon project.

  • Community ambassadors win EU Rail Congress award

    Community ambassadors win EU Rail Congress award

    Northern Rail’s Community Ambassadors, part of Citizens’ Rail’s Lancashire project, have triumphed over nine other European entries to win recognition for their Customer Service Excellence at this year’s European Rail Congress Awards.

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    The scheme has flourished in the North West, introducing thousands of people in ‘hard to reach’ communities to the opportunities of travelling by rail.

    Alex Hynes, Managing Director at Northern Rail comments: “Our ambassadors have dedicated time and energy to offer a new lease of life to these communities and gradually overcome some of the obstacles of train travel. The numbers speak for themselves when we see a 14% rise in rail usage in these areas and it’s an incredibly proud moment to see them gain outstanding recognition for their commitment and value to Northern.”

    Richard Watts, Rail Development Team Manager at Lancashire County Council comments: “This is an excellent achievement for the Community Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are an important part of the European funded Citizens’ Rail Interreg IVB project and are showing how to it is possible to engage with hard to reach groups in East Lancashire and Greater Manchester and encourage them to try the train. By breaking down barriers it is possible to transform the lives of many people by helping them take up better paid employment or attend colleges to gain higher qualifications.”

    The awards were presented by Rory Bremner at the Westminster Park Plaza in London on Wednesday 13 November 2013.

    Caption: Julia Clayton and Simon Abbott from Northern Rail collect the Customer Service Excellence award at the European Rail Congress Awards.


  • Eilendorf community event gets residents involved

    Eilendorf community event gets residents involved

    As part of Citizens’ Rail, approximately 50 local residents in Eilendorf (in Aachen, Germany) attended a community engagement event in October to have their say on potential improvements to their local station.

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    Eilendorf station has considerable access issues – if passengers want to get from one side of the track to the other, this currently involves a long walk to the nearest bridge in one direction or tunnel in the other. Representatives from Citizens’ Rail’s German partners (Stadt Aachen, AVV and RWTH Aachen University) gave presentations setting out four options for improvements to the station (see visualisations below).


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    The presentations are available (in German) in the Dokumente section of Stadt Aachen’s Eilendorf station page. Residents then had the chance to ask questions and give their own views on each of the four options.

    The main reaction from the community was that they welcomed the chance to get involved in planning the improved station at this early stage. Personal safety at the station emerged as a high priority. The options with the best visibility (the first and second slides above) were residents’ favoured options as a result.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#d42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-circle-arrow-right” spacing=”0px” /] Visit our Eilendorf page to find out more about the project and next steps for improving the station.


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  • 8 out of 10 want to be involved in planning their local station

    8 out of 10 want to be involved in planning their local station

    Students from RWTH Aachen University have uncovered strong public support for a new station at Richterich, with 80% of those surveyed eager to be involved in the project’s planning.

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    660 local residents were consulted through face-to-face interviews and online surveys during July 2013. The 10 students asked what level of participation people wanted to have in the new station project, as well as their preferences regarding destinations and the choice between the North and South variants of the plan.

    Findings

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] 71% said would use the train (because it would be quicker than the bus and more convenient).

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] 21% said they would not use the station (due to anticipated delays and being satisfied with the existing bus service).

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] 80% wanted to be involved in planning the new station.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] The students found that it is the youngest and oldest residents who rely most heavily on existing public transport in the form of the bus service.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] It is estimated that 1000 passengers would use the new station per day.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] People’s highest priorities for the station’s design are shelter, good bus connections and personal safety.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Other priorities include greening and noise protection for local residents.

    [icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] There is an even split between those wanting a station with modest features but that is quick to realise, and those wanting a more comprehensive station that may take longer to build.

    Find out more about the project to develop a new station in Richterich.