WORK being carried out to promote travel on the Bentham Line – which includes the railway through Skipton – has been showcased to a Government minister.
Rail minister Wendy Morton has seen first-hand what's being done to spotlight the route and welcome back passengers post-pandemic.
The Bentham Line is the working title of the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, which works to improve services and develop community links along the route.
Ms Morton visited Bingley Station and was shown the partnership's video, We've Missed You Too, which was produced to help encourage people back onto the railway in the aftermath of the pandemic.
She was also presented with a copy of the recently-published executive summary of a development strategy for the 75-mile line.
Partnership chair Gerald Townson outlined the highlights of the document, published following six months of research and analysis by consultants Stantec and Allan Rail.
The study included contributions from over 40 stakeholders, plus more than 500 responses from the public.
It was the first initiative of its kind in Britain to be instigated by a community rail partnership.
A number of issues have been identified which would improve the overall customer experience and travel offer.
They include low-cost electrification of the Lancaster to Morecambe section, an increase in service delivery with a longer operating day, the possibility of new through and faster services, and specific targeting relating to demand for active leisure and tourism travel.
Ms Morton also heard about the acclaimed work being carried out on the Bentham Line to make the route dementia friendly.
Mr Townson said: "The Bentham Line 'Dementia and Community Rail' project was included in the Williams-Shapps review of rail published last year, and we took the opportunity to give an update on this continuing and very successful project.
"The minister’s portfolio also covers accessibility to public transport and she is keen to see similar initiatives developed across the rail network."
During the same week as the visit, the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership and neighbouring partnerships combined for an event at Leeds Station. The aim was to promote community rail, active leisure travel and ‘staycations’, as part of the national Give the Train a Try campaign. There were also visits to the information stand by representatives of Northern Trains, which operates services on the Airedale line; CrossCountry Trains and the Community Rail Network.
For further information about the Bentham Line, go to thebenthamline.co.uk.
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