TransWilts Line: community rail designation
Detail of outcome
We invited views on our proposal to designate the TransWilts Line (Swindon to Westbury) as a community rail service. This public consultation ran for 8 weeks from 10 February 2016 to 6 April 2016 and details were made available.
Of the responses received all were supportive. However, given that the route carries freight traffic the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership have been advised to carefully consider any impacts on freight operations as they develop local passenger services.
On this basis we advised that the designation of the TransWilts Line (Swindon to Westbury) as a community rail service should proceed.
Detail of feedback received
TransWilts line: summary of responses
We invited response from the the rail organisations of:
- Great Western Railway
- South West Trains
- DB Schenker – recently rebranded DB Cargo Ltd
- Direct Rail Services
- Freightliner Ltd
- GB Railfreight Ltd
- Network Rail
- Office of Rail Regulation
- Passenger Focus
- Rail Freight Group
We also invited organisations with an interest or stake to respond, such as:
- Association of Community Rail Partnerships
- Campaign for Better Transport
- Heart of Wessex Community Rail Partnership
- Melksham Railway Development Group
- Rail Future
- Severnside Community Rail Partnership cic
- Three Rivers Rail Partnership
- TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
- TravelWatch South West cic
- West of England Partnership
- West Wilts Rail Users Group
- Wiltshire Council
As this was a public consultation we further welcomed responses from other organisations or individuals. We received a collective 22 responses from the:
- Association of Community Rail Partnerships
- DB Cargo (UK) Ltd
- Great Western Railway
- Heart of Wessex Community Rail Partnership
- James Gray MP
- Mendip Rail Ltd
- Network Rail
- Rail Freight Group
- Rail Future
- Severnside Community Rail Partnership cic
- Steve Bacon - retired transport official
- Swindon Borough Council
- Three Rivers Rail Partnership
- TravelWatch South West cic
- West of England Partnership
- West Wilts Rail Users Group
- Wiltshire Council who gave 3 responses.
- public who gave 3 responses.
Original consultation
Consultation description
We propose to designate the TransWilts Line (Swindon to Westbury) as a community rail service. This is in line with the department’s Community rail development strategy which offers ‘new life for local lines’, through a community driven approach.
Designation aims to improve the financial performance, value for money and social value of community railways to help make sure of their long term future.
As the ‘Community rail development strategy’ was widely consulted on, this is a short consultation involving local and rail industry stakeholders.
Designation, and more importantly full local engagement with the railway, can provide a real opportunity to positively shape the future of local rail services.
There is an aim to strengthen community rail in the wider rail franchise programme.
Documents
Updates to this page
Last updated 29 September 2016 + show all updates
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Summary of responses and outcome of the consultation.
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First published.