Community Rail
The Community Rail Humber project is the follow up rail development programme managed by the HWRCC, to promote and develop rail services across the Humber sub-region. It also includes the management and day to day development of the two existing Community Rail Partnerships, which are the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership (to promote services on the Hull, Bridlington to Scarborough Railway), and the Barton Cleethorpes Community Rail Partnership (to promote the service between Barton, Grimsby and Cleethorpes). Further Community Rail Partnerships are being explored across the region.
David Walford is the Sub-regional Rail Development Officer, based at Challenge House, Driffield. His role is at a strategy and policy level, to encourage further growth and investment in the rail infrastructure across the region. The Community Rail Humber Board meets regularly to discuss all aspects of rail infrastructure and policy. These meetings include all the Unitary Authorities, all train operating companies, Network Rail, DFT-Rail, bus operators and Yorkshire Forward.
These gatherings have proved to be particularly successful in resolving many station issues and ensuring that the region speaks with 'one voice' over funding and infrastructure matters. It is seen as the way forward for other Community Rail Partnerships to follow, and has been consistently held up as an excellent example of rail development across a region. Over the past four years, an increase in passenger numbers, approaching 50%, has been recorded on the Hull to Scarborough line, on the same level of service. Northern Rail has attributed the increase to the support of the Rail Officer and the Community Rail Partnership.
David Walford also promotes the railway through the local and regional media and acts as an advocate for public transport across the region.
Gill Simpson, Rail Partnership Officer for the Barton to Cleethorpes Community Rail Partnership and Sally Baird, Rail Partnership Officer for theYorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership have a wide range of duties to ensure that the two Community Rail Partnerships have a healthy events programme to encourage further use of the local lines. They engage with all interested parties and communities to resolve station and access issues and market rail travel around the region as well as co-ordinating an ongoing programme of improvements.
David F Walford - Sub-Regional Rail Development Officer
Community Rail Humber
Challenge House
35 Eastgate North
Driffield
YO25 6DG
Tel. 01377 232132
Mob: 07740 407 391
Rail Partnership Officers
Sally Baird - Driffield Office (as above)
Tel 01377 232138
Mob: 07740 086 272
Gill Simpson - Haven House, Waterside Road, Barton upon Humber DN18 5BD
Tel: 01652 662028
Mob: 07740 609 992