About Us

Community Rail Cumbria (CRC) comprises the three accredited Community Rail lines in Cumbria: the Cumbrian Coast Line, the Furness Line and the Lakes Line.  The team also works closely with neighbouring Community Rail teams for the Tyne Valley line, Settle-Carlisle line, Leeds-Lancaster-Morecambe line and lines into Lancashire.

The Partnerships are greatly helped by community volunteers and support local communities to adopt their local station. This encourages station development with projects such as gardening and landscaping; building renovations and community events.

 

Accredited since 2019 by the Department for Transport and the Community Rail Network (formerly ACoRP), CRC works in partnership with the rail industry, Local Authorities, community groups, funding partners and the private sector to support the use and improvement of local railway stations and services across Cumbria.  CRC also has a strong focus on promoting and marketing our railways encouraging local communities and visitors to use the train to and through Cumbria.

 

The Department for Transport (DfT) plays a vital role in supporting, developing and funding Community Rail across the UK and encourages Community Rail organisations to develop sustainable partnerships for the benefit of the railway and its passengers.

Community Rail Cumbria was delighted to host the launch of the DfT’s revised Community Rail Development Strategy at Millom station in November 2018.  This Strategy sets out four key pillars for all CRPs to aim for:

  1. Providing a voice for the community;
  2. Promoting sustainable and healthy travel (the extra mile);
  3. Bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion;
  4. Supporting social and economic development.

The Team

From left to right: Dawn McGough, Community Rail Manager; Warren Birch, Community Rail Partnership Officer, Cumbrian Coast Line; Kerstin Esbjornsson, Community Rail Partnership Officer, Furness Line and Lakes Line; Claire Bradshaw, Community Rail Assistant.

 

 

Community Rail Partnerships

In order to achieve the overall aim of economic well-being and growth the Cumbrian Coast Line, Furness Line and Lakes Line CRPs have the following shared strategic objectives:

  • To develop a sustainable community rail movement across Cumbria including the growth of Station Adoption, the creation of business and community opportunities, education initiatives and volunteer participation;
  • To secure as a minimum sufficient funding to support the community rail staffing structure and the Community Rail Development Plan;
  • To identify and contribute to a programme of station developments;
  • To seek effective passenger and freight rail service improvements;
  • To support rail revenue initiatives;
  • To develop a sustainable and quantifiable approach for marketing and promoting rail travel which encourages both outbound and inbound use of the lines;
  • To undertake a pro-active approach to those sections of the Cumbrian community disadvantaged by health, isolation or social deprivation.