Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership
After nearly six years since FOLS held a discussion meeting about the possibility of a Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership (CRP), we are happy to announce that a community rail partnership for the Calder Valley Line has been officially approved by Calderdale and Rochdale Councils. A great deal of background work has been going on to build up to this, thanks to staff at both councils.
An official Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership Route Prospectus has been published to promote an Accredited Community Rail Partnership for the Calder Valley Line. This is available through the councils' websites. The partnership will be hosted at first by Rochdale Council, with the eventual aim of becoming an independent community-based body in the medium to long term.
The partnership will cover the route from Mills Hill via Rochdale and Todmorden to Brighouse, Bradford via Halifax and Halifax to Huddersfield via Brighouse. The stations are Mills Hill, Castleton, Rochdale, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Walsden,Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Brighouse and Elland (the latter, once it is opened). It is hoped that once the partnership is fully established, it could eventually extend as far as Bradford/Leeds and Manchester Victoria.
There are local challenges involved in providing access to rail services and public transport in general to meet local needs, whilst also providing wider connectivity to the Leeds City Region and the wider Yorkshire area in the East, and Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire to the West. Before the Covid crisis, peak hour commuter traffic had seen rapid growth in recent years. Time will tell how and when this will revive. However, there is great potential in expanding off-peak travel to the benefit of the community, whilst also bringing visitors into the area for the benefit of the local economy. The partnership will play a vital role in reviving the Calder Valley route in the short, medium and long term following the Covid crisis.
The community rail partnership will hope to develop comprehensive engagement with the local communities along the Calder Valley Line route. A Partnership Officer will be recruited and it is intended to apply for accreditation at the earliest opportunity in line with the Department for Transport's (DfT) Community Rail Strategy. Accreditation will increase long term access to funding, give official recognition of the CRP from the DfT, and allow for greater engagement in DfT consultations amongst other benefits.
The accreditation will be used to facilitate improved outputs for the railway and particularly the communities and businesses that are served by the Calder Valley Line. Improvements for local people will increase accessibility by public transport, cycling and walking while reducing social isolation, improving air quality and facilitate an even more prosperous railway serving Calderdale, Rochdale Borough and communities beyond into Lancashire, Cheshire and the wider Yorkshire area. Accreditation of the Partnership excludes any involvement in track, signalling and freight services matters.
The key priorities of the partnership incorporate the 'Four Pillars' of the DfT's Community Rail Strategy which are:
The Four Pillars
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Providing a voice for the community
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Promoting sustainable and healthy travel
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Bringing communities together, supporting diversity and inclusion
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Supporting social and economic development
For further information on Community Rail in general go to the Community Rail Network website: https://communityrail.org.uk/calder-valley-crp/