To receive a report by the Cambrian Partnership Railway Officer.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Claire Williams, Cambrian Partnership Railway
Officer, to her first meeting of this committee.
She outlined activities undertaken since the previous meeting as follows:
(a)
Improving links
with local communities and their railway
Community
and engagement work was continuing with Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail. A
level crossing safety competition was held recently with Ysgol Maenofferen,
Blaenau Ffestiniog, Ysgol y Traeth, Barmouth and Ysgol Tan y Castell, Harlech,
as part of the partnership with Network Rail to change the historical mindset
of how level crossings are not important to young people and to show them the
dangers of not using them correctly. The winner and two runners up received
free family tickets to see Santa on the Highlands and Ffestiniog Railway and
book tokens courtesy of the Cambrian Railway Partnership and the Welsh Books
Council.
(b) Continual improvement and development of
existing rail services and infrastructure
Strategic
stakeholder meetings take place on a monthly basis for the development of Bow
Street with the chair of the SARLC also attending these meetings. The Cambrian
Partnership Railway Officer has recently been asked by Welsh Government and
Network Rail to be the lead on the Equality and Diversity element of the
project. The plans are shortly going out to consultation and are currently
working with a substantial number of disability and equality groups to ensure
that the plans do not have a detrimental effect on service users.
(c) Local line-specific timetable production
The
December 2017- May 2018 pocket timetable has now been produced and distributed
to relevant TIC’s, stations and other relevant outlets. The Cambrian
Partnership Railway Officer will also be working closely with ATW on any
amendments to the May 2018-December 2018 timetable.
(d)
Surveys
The
Cambrian Railways Partnership was delighted to work with the Shrewsbury to
Aberystwyth Rail Liaison Committee and to commission a survey that was
undertaken in spring 2017 as part of the grant from the Welsh Government. The
surveys follow on from the success of the 2013 and 2015 surveys which resulted
in improved services on the Cambrian Lines. The results of this survey were
presented to Gareth Evans, Rail Economist for Welsh Government along with other
WG officials by the Committee November 17th 2017 at a meeting in Cathays Park.
WG then disseminated this information to the franchise bidders as supporting
information for their final bid, which had to be submitted to WG and TfW in
December 2017.
(e) 2018/2019 Promotional Campaign
The
RDO has also agreed with the partnership that to make the best of the Visit
Wales “2018 Year of the Sea” thematic year and its potential for increasing
tourism to the regions that it would be best to issue an invitation to tender
for the creation and management of a complete Year of the Sea social media
campaign along with continued management and maintenance of the new Wales on
rails website. The invitation was sent out in December with responses to be
received by Mid-January. The contract was awarded to Equinox Communications in
Cardiff, who have already started making significant changes and fixes to the
website and social media platforms, with the new website http://www.walesonrails.com
due to go live mid-March in readiness for Easter. Members were given an opportunity of seeing
the website at the meeting.
(f)
Reports and Meetings
The
Cambrian Partnership Railway Officer stated that she also attends a number of
town council meetings to raise the profile of making the Cambrian Railway a
Dementia Friendly Community in its own entity. A number of towns such as Machynlleth,
Welshpool, Porthmadog and Newtown are already Dementia Friendly Communities and
are now looking at adding travel as part of their action plans and she is
assisting them along with the Dementia Friendly Communities Co-ordinator to
support them in gaining the status for their stations. A request had also been
made by the Managing Director of Traveline Cymru to assist them with best
practice and how to make themselves a dementia friendly organisation.
It was further noted that it is hoped to arrange for small groups with
dementia to engage with children at various events.
(g) During the ensuing discussion, the following matters were noted:
(i) The Chairman welcomed
the co-operation of working with communities especially helping those people
suffering with dementia and the Cambrian Partnership Railway Officer was
requested to send details of any events to the Members’ Support Officer for
onward transmission to members in order for them to publicise such events in
their respective wards.
(ii) It was also encouraging
to note that work was being undertaken regarding level crossings with
schools. In response, the Cambrian
Partnership Railway Officer stated that she was currently working on a project
for level crossings in creating two videos, one aimed to the tourism market and
the other aimed to young farmers, and hopefully these will be finalised by the
end of March and circulated to schools thereafter. The video footage would be about 2 minutes
when they would have to watch, and sign that they will adhere to level crossing
requirements.
(iii) The Cambrian Partnership
Railway Officer was congratulated for her work in getting more passengers to
use the railway line. However there is a
need for more rolling stock, i.e. 4 carriages on the line, and particularly
during the holidays.
In response, Mr Ben Davies (Arriva Trains Wales) agreed that there was a
need for more carriages but stated that there is a shortage of stock of trains
in the UK and the company has to rely on cascading stock. This summer it will be possible to cascade
rolling stock onto the Cambrian Line with the possibility of trains with 4
carriages to be seen on the line. It was
further noted that this is a matter, which the new franchise needs to
investigate and which should be lobbied with Welsh Government. Shortage of staff and drivers was not an
issue.
(iv) The two for one offers
with CADW was a brilliant idea and it was encouraged to advertise widely within
communities, at local campsites, hotels, etc.
(i)
With regard to the new website, it was suggested that it would be
advantageous, not only to form a link with places to stay but also with local
taxi services. Far more people were
using the train but some passengers were proving difficulty to go further due
to the loss of bus services in the area.
In reply, Mr Ben Davies stated that he was working closely with the
Manager of TrawsCymru in order to try and link more trains with the buses but
there were various constraints i.e. contract to ensure that school children
arrived in Ysgol Ardudwy on time.
Resolved - To
receive, note and thank the Cambrian Partnership Railway Officer for the
report.