We have been asked for a 'business plan' to support our application to join ACoRP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships), which will be discussed at next Friday's AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) and submitted (if approved) to ACoRP for their meeting at the end of February.   Here is a draft:

Business Plan - TransWilts Community Rail Partnership - 1st February 2014

The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership is linking the community, the train operators and the local council in the support of all stopping passenger train services on the Swindon - Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge - Westbury line.  Some trains extend to Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury, and those services and other passengers services over that line form part of the supported TransWilts.

* Overview

a) Support LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund) and other activities of Wiltshire Council / First Great Western / Associated other contactors and bodies through the currently funded service. Our goal is help increase passenger journeys to 108,000 over a 12 month period.

b) Plan with all parties for following stages beyond the current franchise provided and LSTF grant aided services with a view to providing inputs to help specify such services for optimum financial, operational and community benefit

c) Support those following phase services.

Our constitution allows support in a wide sense, so support of services includes marketing, station adoption, passenger support, and feedback not only of the trains running on the TransWilts line, but also of associated transport.

* Financial

For the current (LSTF / Grant aided service), residual funding from our 2011 grant through which the activities for "proof of case" covers us.  We are buying only limited secretarial support with most work being done by volunteers, so requirements are modest (except in hard work!)

Looking forward (2015 / 2016) we are exploring other funding opportunities. We anticipate that the CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) will be very cost effective in terms of money spent for extra passengers, and are exploring Rail operator / Franchise, local council, SEP LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about) and LSTF funding.

Further stages / phases beyond 2018 will be dependent on the development of services; with what is (in essence) a new service, there is a wide range of scenarios for the future.

* Administration

The Community Rail Partnership operates under its constitution which was confirmed at a special general meeting on 31st August 2013

A resolution will be put before our AGM on 7th February adopting this business plan, and proposing we apply for membership of ACoRP. The officers believe it would be of great benefit to the TransWilts line, especially in the very early days of significantly increased services, for us to be able to fully learn from the experiences of others and to be included within regional and nationwide marketing of community lines and services.