Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership


The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.
The Partnership is based at the University of Plymouth and is backed by Devon County Council, Cornwall Council, and Plymouth City Council. Railway industry backing came initially from Wessex Trains but it withdrew in 2006 when its franchise was transferred to Great Western Railway, which had joined the Partnership the previous year. Today the Partnership is backed by Great Western Railway, and as well as the local councils.

Routes

There are nine branch lines promoted by the Partnership, each supported by local councils with local forums made up of representatives from the local community.
In addition, several [railway stations">West of England line">East Devon Line - Exeter St Davids to Axminster In addition, several [railway stations have "Friends" groups supported by the Partnership and which undertake local promotion of services and take on work such as gardening and litter collection.

Investment

The Partnership has secured additional investment to improve services] on the branch lines over the years.
The additional services thus funded have included:
All in all, the investment and promotion has seen passenger numbers on all of the branch lines double since 2001.

Promotion

A variety of promotional methods are employed, ranging from station or line timetables and scenic line guides, through to more specialised promotions.

Walking

The Partnership has produced two free booklets which detail walks from stations on the branch lines, in both counties. Walks are either circular or linear and are also downloadable from the Partnership's website.

Rail Ale Trails

Starting with the Tarka Line in 2002, a rail ale trail has been established along each of the six lines in association with CAMRA. By collecting stamps from the participating pubs in a special leaflet, drinkers can claim tour t-shirts in return for a completed sheet of stamps and production of their train tickets.

Birdwatching

There are many opportunities for spotting wild birds on both the Looe Valley Line and St Ives Bay Line. The Partnership has worked with the RSPB to produce leaflets and a video highlighting this.
Foodie Guides
The Partnership has produced 'foodie guides' for the Looe Valley Line, Maritime, Tarka and Avocet Lines. The guides detail cafes, restaurants, local markets and food events that people can get to by train. Businesses were chosen based on their use of local produce and championing of local suppliers.

Ticketing

A key part of the promotion of all the lines is the range of tickets available. Building on the success of established railway tickets such as Off-Peak Returns and Rover tickets, and the Devon and Cornwall Railcard, further savings have been offered through Group Save tickets and Carnets.

Trains

A number of Wessex Trains DMUs were given special liveries to promote the lines in the Partnership. They worked not just in Devon and Cornwall but further afield too and so could be seen at places such as Southampton, Cardiff Central, and Bristol Temple Meads railway stations. Most continued to work for Great Western Railway but from 2007 they were all either repainted into that company's livery or taken off lease and transferred to other operators.