Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 09:15 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:08 Newbury to Bedwyn
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
10:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:41 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
09:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 09:21:07 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[109] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[72] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[67] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[66] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[59] Return of the BRUTE?
[41] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: ACoRP - Association of Community Rail Partnerships - to expand  (Read 21965 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« on: August 11, 2016, 17:04:55 »

From The ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) web site

Quote
The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) is to expand thanks to new funding from the Department for Transport (DfT» (Department for Transport - about)) and Arriva Rail North (ARN).

ACoRP’s new structure will mean that the organisation will be able to provide greater support to its members, Community Rail Partnerships and station friends groups across the country, with the aim of helping the whole Community Rail sector develop and encouraging greater use still of regional and rural trains.

The body will be recruiting new expertise in communications and marketing, tourism and heritage as well as expanding its operations team.   The organisation will be headed up by a new Chief Executive.  After a handover period, long serving General Manager Neil Buxton will leave the organisation and retire at the end of 2016.

Commenting on the change, Neil Buxton said ?In the last decade, ACoRP has grown considerably in stature and influence and I’m proud to have contributed to that.  However, to stay ahead of the game, the organisation needs younger, fresher minds to deal with the new challenges being presented to the community rail sector.  Having been closely involved with the reorganisation since its inception, I firmly believe this is the way to go and I’m excited by the opportunities it will offer to improve our service delivery to both our membership and the wider rail industry."

ACoRP Chair, Peter Roberts MBE confirmed that a series of new posts would be advertised over the coming weeks, aiming to have all jobs filled by January 2017.  He said "This is an exciting time for ACoRP and Community Rail generally and we are grateful to both DfT and ARN for making these new developments possible.

"We are especially grateful to Neil Buxton for his long service and his leadership during a challenging period for both ACoRP and the rail industry in general.   He will retire at the end of the year with our very best wishes for a long and happy retirement."

ACoRP will continue to be based at The Old Water Tower at Huddersfield station.

The new posts will be advertised over the coming weeks, with the aim of having all jobs filled by January 2017.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2016, 16:02:51 »

Job vacancies to cover the expanding roles - see http://go.search.co.uk/acorp/

Chief Executive
Senior Commercial Manager
Operations Manager
Communications and Marketing Manager
Tourism and Heritage Officer
Operations Officer

Now if I were 30 years younger and we were looking at an Oldfield Park not Huddersfield base ...

Passing on to "my network" at the request of ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) ...
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2016, 21:15:31 »

Community rail map (ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) members) ...

http://www.projectmapping.co.uk/Resources/ACoRP%20zoom%20map%20v3.pdf

From my own experience, involving communities in certain aspects of the rail service serving those communities can reap significant dividend for the communities and their members, for the train operators, for the balance sheet of the operation and (arguably) for the infrastructure organisation and for passengers / services passing through.    But my experience relates to Wiltshire, and even in this small area I've learned that no two lines are the same.

Looking at the rail map, I'm struck by clusters of Community lines and areas where Community Rail appears to have drawn a blank.  Is this because of patchy adoption, or because the areas really are very different indeed, to the extent that what works at Glossop wouldn't do any good at Redditch?
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2016, 23:16:40 »

Now if I were 30 years younger and we were looking at an Oldfield Park not Huddersfield base ...

Likewise: if I were 30 years younger and we were looking at a Yatton not Huddersfield base ...  Wink Cheesy Grin

(I was going to post Weston Milton, but that would have been silly. Lips sealed )
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2016, 18:29:38 »

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: 12 November 2016 From: ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships)

Quote
Chief executive appointed at Association of Community Rail Partnerships as community rail sector continues to grow

Julie Townsend has been announced as chief executive of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, as the organisation and the community rail sector it represents continues to grow rapidly.

Julie’s role will include overseeing a dedicated team of 11, fostering successful relationships with those working in community rail and the wider rail industry, representing community rail at national and regional level, setting the strategic direction of ACoRP, and ensuring its ongoing development.

Julie joins ACoRP after serving more than 10 years at Brake, the national road safety charity, for the last five years as deputy chief executive and campaigns director. At Brake, Julie provided strategic leadership across the charity and externally as the most senior staff member in the UK (United Kingdom). Her work included building strong relationships with national policy makers and major partners, significantly growing the charity’s income, representing the charity through national media, and developing and delivering numerous high profile campaigns. She worked to increasingly connect the charity’s road safety campaigning with people’s right to healthy and sustainable travel and lifestyles.

Julie has also headed up communications and policy functions at a pioneering programme to support families with young children, Better Start Bradford, and London housing association East Thames Group. In addition, Julie has also undertaken a range of voluntary work, including as chair of the founding committee of Streatham Common Community Garden.

Julie is passionate about sustainable travel and enthusiastically committed to using and promoting rail.

Julie Townsend said, “I’m thrilled to be taking on this prestigious role at ACoRP, at such an exciting time in the organisation’s development. I am passionate about promoting sustainable travel, and understand how important it is to communities’ health, wellbeing and development. Community rail is playing an increasingly critical role in boosting rail travel and working to ensure our railways meet the needs of local people. Thousands of passionate people around Britain make up the community rail movement, and I feel privileged to be taking on this role to support and represent them at a national level. With ACoRP doubling in size, there is a real feeling of excitement about the organisation doing even more to ensure that community rail continues to flourish. I’m very much looking forward to working with the team to capitalise on this growth, and meeting the many people who make community rail the dynamic, beneficial movement it is.

“I’d like to say a huge thanks and best wishes to my predecessor Neil Buxton, who must feel extremely proud of all he has achieved, and the transformed and vibrant organisation he is retiring from.”

Neil Buxton, ACoRP’s current General Manager added: “I’m very pleased that Julie has come to ACoRP and I think she will be a great asset to an organisation that is already well-respected and appreciated.  Having spent 16 years as General Manager, I feel very proud of what my colleagues and I have achieved and as I approach retirement age, it’s entirely appropriate to hand over to someone younger and who, I have no doubt, has many new ideas to take ACoRP even further.”

Julie starts on 12 December 2016 and there will be a short period of joint working until Neil retires on 31 December.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2016, 18:36:11 »

To add ... a current map showing all CRPs (Community Rail Partnership) which are ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) members is at http://atrebatia.info/ACoRPsummarymapv6.pdf (my mirror).  Subject line says "Association of Community Rail Partnerships - to expand" and that map may give you some ideas as to where Community Rail could be useful, but isn't officially there at the moment.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Rhydgaled
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1500


View Profile WWW
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2016, 22:39:42 »

Looking at the rail map, I'm struck by clusters of Community lines and areas where Community Rail appears to have drawn a blank.  Is this because of patchy adoption, or because the areas really are very different indeed, to the extent that what works at Glossop wouldn't do any good at Redditch?
One of those blanks, the lines west of Swansea (or was it Carmarthen), have (or had) the South West Wales Community Rail Partnership (SWWCRP). Does the absense from map imply that the SWWCRP is no more (their website's not been updated in years either), or can a CRP (Community Rail Partnership) exist without being part of ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships)?
Logged

----------------------------
Don't DOO (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) it, keep the guard (but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea if the driver unlocked the doors on arrival at calling points).
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2016, 23:41:14 »

Hmm.  Roll Eyes

The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership did exist (and indeed ran very successfully) for several years before being admitted to membership of ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships).

However, I'll perhaps leave it to grahame to expand on that, as it's his area rather than mine.  Wink

Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2016, 03:16:48 »

Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs (Community Rail Partnership)) are typically founded by the local authorities in an area served by a passenger train service deciding they want to work with the railway and tap into community spirit and volunteerism to cherish that service.   They encourage and persuade local community members and groups outside the local government arena, and the train operators, to buy into the idea and thus you have a "community rail partnership" in fact if not always in name.

Once established, and if it wishes, A CRP can apply for membership of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships.  To do so implies / requires an agreement with the ethos of the organisation, and new members will only be admitted if agreed by the board of ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships).  It's also possible for CRPs that were once members of ACoRP to cease to be members, either by formally resigning their membership, or by not paying their annual subscription.

Applications for ACoRP membership are far from automatically accepted; ACoRP exists to encourage a co-operative working together of groups (community, rail and local authority) to nurture, love and develop local train services which already exist and could do with a bit of tender loving care.  Where there's a question mark over the partnership nature of an organisation (e.g. it's regarded as something of a protest group), where the train service level is so low it's not considered marketable, where a heritage line is involved, or where a main or regional rather than a local service is involved, application requests are liable to be rejected, with the suggestion that other umbrella groups such as the Historic Railways Association or RailFuture may be more appropriate.

ChrisfN mentions TransWilts.  Somewhat atypical - it was set up by the community rather than by the local authorities in the first place, and being seeded largely by members from "Save the Train".  The move to a CRP from a campaign group was a public signal and coming together of the community served by the railway and the train operator, then with some local authority support added in.  It took some while for that signal to be truly appreciated and taken at face value and indeed to this day I believe we cause an element of discomfort by our somewhat different approach on certain matters. Local community support where the service makes a huge difference is tremendously positive, as is train operator support, and local authorities at unitary, town and parish level are bought in too with match funding for projects such as the need to enhance Melksham station to cope with increased passenger numbers. However, even that may not be enough to gain membership if a none-ACoRP CRP is seen as competing with other CPRs for limited resources such as an extra carriage, or is considered not to have sufficient trains running to be marketable.

Indications from comment, press releases and other briefings are that ACoRP is becoming more active in encouraging and promoting "new life for local lines". The appointment of none-rail based chief executive and an increase in headcount with various new roles back this up, and I understand that it's hoped / planned / anticipated that some of the white areas of the map may not remain totally white.  No bad thing in my view; it was somewhat ironic that the time that ACoRP could have been most help to TransWilts was in the lead up to us having a marketable service, but that was at a time when we were denied official membership with the stamp of substance ACoRP membership implies absent from our activities and a constant need to explain ourselves. I should add that as a partnership organisation to promote rail, the technical and management staff team at ACoRP were helpful and encouraging to us beyond the call of their duty. 

I'm at an ACoRP meeting / briefing at the DfT» (Department for Transport - about) during the day today and will be learning more about ongoing plans; one of the most interesting new appointments will be the Operations Manager (South) who will be the lead / key ACoRP contact across the SWT (South West Trains) and GWR (Great Western Railway) territories as well as many other neighbouring TOCs (Train Operating Company).  With London and probably Birmingham included in this territory, it's anticipated that the new person will have a far wider multicultural, urban and challenged communities / user base background  than is found on the traditional rural branch line. That tradition is how many of the lines are perceived today even though, I can assure you from personal experience, isn't actually always the case!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2018, 15:59:37 »

This topic has been moved Behind the Counter. This link will only work for moderators.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=17355.0

Some content in a post in the thread (started in late 2016) has been reported as being offensive, and have been asked to "remove the post by 5 p.m. today or further action will be taken".   I have therefore removed in for public review so the moderator / admin team can take a reasoned look, rather than me having a knee-jerk reaction.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2018, 00:48:07 »

Thanks, grahame, for your prompt action in removing this topic from public view, when you were made aware of the issue.

I can update our readers here with confirmation that this issue has now been discussed, in detail, within the whole moderator team, and a formal response is being prepared.

My own intention is that many of the posts which appeared in this public topic, and which are actually very supportive of ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships), will be returned here - as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience. CfN.  Lips sealed

Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2018, 16:38:28 »

Explanation - http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19495.msg233710#msg233710
(Frequent Posters)
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Oberon
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 186


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2018, 12:53:06 »

I can't comment on the quote which clearly caused offence to one person but I would simply ask that the Forum, if they think no harm was intended in whatever it was that was originally posted, should stand up to threats in the manner of "further action will be taken." My hackles raise at this, even if no one else's do.

But of course you think the original offending item was libellous or obscene, then you obviously should remove it without delay. Which you have done.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2018, 13:53:11 »

The Frequent Posters explanation covers what's happened - http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19495 - and the admins and moderators have discussed it too.

I can't comment on the quote which clearly caused offence to one person but I would simply ask that the Forum, if they think no harm was intended in whatever it was that was originally posted, should stand up to threats in the manner of "further action will be taken." My hackles raise at this, even if no one else's do.

An awful lot of hackles were raised with normally level-headed members by the approach that was taken

Quote
But of course you think the original offending item was libellous or obscene, then you obviously should remove it without delay. Which you have done.

This thread (including the offending post) was quarantined very quickly indeed for review.   Since it was reported by ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) to have caused offence to one of their team, the decision was to remove the post prior to the return of the thread to public view - even though the way we were asked had caused hackles to rise, and a multitude of other had not seen / felt it to be offensive.

It has certainly focused us on such matters - a learning experience, though the general view is that we've learned that we're in pretty good shape and only fine tuning is needed.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2018, 13:59:58 by grahame » Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18895



View Profile
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2018, 15:55:52 »

Well, I for one was very offended.

Offended by the 'or else' tone taken by the complainant.
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page