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The Community Rail Cafe is for everyone interested in "community rail", including volunteers, Community Rail Partnerships, train operating companies, local and national government and other agencies.
The Citizens' Rail toolkit is a gold mine of community rail ideas, advice and videos, just waiting to be explored. Check it out!
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Richard LysonsAmazing Women by Rail . This must be about the only place where I haven't yet spread the word about Amazing Women by Rail. This community rail/ tourism project is a collaboration between Mid Cheshire CRP; Friends of Littleborough Stations; Community Rail... moreAmazing Women by Rail . This must be about the only place where I haven't yet spread the word about Amazing Women by Rail. This community rail/ tourism project is a collaboration between Mid Cheshire CRP; Friends of Littleborough Stations; Community Rail Lancashire and ACoRP with support from WiCR and Northern. The project was co-ordinated by Sally Buttifant (Mid Cheshire CRP Officer) and aims to encourage people to visit towns and cities by rail on both the Mid Cheshire and Calder Valley lines to discover the stories behind the amazing women - both known and unknown - associated with these places.
We launched the project last month at Elizabeth Gaskell's House in Manchester with people from Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association/ CRP; Friends of Littleborough Stations; staff from Northern, Network Rail and TfGM and many other friends and colleagues from the community rail world. Thanks to everyone who came along and supported the launch.
We have had fantastic response to the booklet : HRH The Princess... less
Mike Parker-BraySome interesting ideas in this article from the head of tech at Trainline. Their app asks passengers to say if their carriage is busy. Then the app uses the data to tell those boarding next where to head for a seat.
Voice is "here to stay" according to Jonathan Midgley, Director of Engineering at Trainline, who added that building a voice app was "a no brainer".
Feb 22
Ian DinmoreI regret to say I'm not a big fan of Trainline - 57% of complaints about the wrong type of ticket being issue is down to Trainline then there is the issue of paying a cover fee - no TOC staff or CRP's support this company and always advise customers to... moreI regret to say I'm not a big fan of Trainline - 57% of complaints about the wrong type of ticket being issue is down to Trainline then there is the issue of paying a cover fee - no TOC staff or CRP's support this company and always advise customers to go to the TOC website to purchase. As for crowding on trains, the new Thameslink trains tells you when you board where there are empty seats as will most new rolling stock coming to the network. less
Mar 29
Mike Parker-BrayFair points, but still no harm learning from them in areas where they are strong, like web design and search engine optimisation.
One simple but effective example - they dominate search results by having dedicated pages for individual journeys. So if... moreFair points, but still no harm learning from them in areas where they are strong, like web design and search engine optimisation.
One simple but effective example - they dominate search results by having dedicated pages for individual journeys. So if you search 'Barnstaple to Exeter train' they have a page that specifically meets that need: https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/barnstaple-to-exeter
Also interesting how sophisticated Google itself is getting with rail and bus journey planning, but that's another discussion... less
Mike Parker-BrayWe're running our 'Take your teddy for a trip on the train' promotion again this half-term. Kids travel free if they bring their bear. Details at the link.
A group set up for our Scottish CRP members to discuss all things Community Rail.
Feb 12
Jo Andrews → THE BUS THAT MEETS THE TRAIN: I wear to work hats, one Community Rail the other is CallConnect, a demand responsive rural bus service that is operated by Lincolnshire County Council. CallConnect serves all the Lincolnshire stations on the Poacher Line.
Mike Parker-BrayPlanning a trip down to Devon or Cornwall in 2018? Check out our video on Facebook to get you in the mood for a trip on one of the counties' scenic branch lines:
then there is the issue of paying a cover fee - no TOC staff or CRP's support this company and always advise customers to... more
