Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership joins community groups and volunteers across Britain for this year’s Community Rail Week to encourage people to ‘give the train a try’. They are especially encouraging the many families and individuals who rarely or never get on a train or bus, and instead rely on cars, to consider the benefits of making at least the occasional switch to greener, healthier, more social forms of travel.

Community Rail Week, organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by Rail Delivery Group, runs from 23-29 May, and will involve hundreds of community rail partnerships (CRPs) and volunteer groups inviting people to ‘give the train a try’.

Community events and activities are planned nationwide – all the way from Edinburgh to Cornwall – raising awareness about local railways, encouraging more widespread use of rail (combined with buses, walking and cycling), building travel confidence among those who are less familiar, and encouraging the switch from car to train for a healthier, more sustainable future.

The Bishop Line CRP are launching a set of walking and cycling maps, one for each of their stations. The maps have been designed to raise awareness of all the fabulous attractions you can get to within a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cycle ride from each station. The maps can be downloaded from the Bishop Line website on each station’s page.

Community Rail Week looks to drive change at a community level through the efforts of 74 community rail partnerships and 1,200 station friends groups across Britain – working to help people get out of their cars and onto trains and other sustainable modes of transport.

Throughout the year The Bishop Line CRP plan to work with students in local schools and colleges to increase rail travel confidence so that rail is an obvious travel option for them in the future.

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said:

 “Community Rail Week, and its call to action of ‘give the train a try’, is all about connecting local communities with their railways and encouraging and enabling more people to travel sustainably by train. Community rail has an inspiring track record of doing just that: promoting travel confidence and increasing access to opportunity, while bringing people together, giving communities a voice, and putting railways and stations at the heart of community life. Community rail partnerships and volunteers the length and breadth of Britain are this week mobilising en masse, engaging local people and partners to raise awareness about the importance of rail, and get people enthused about its benefits. We want to help people who feel less confident with train travel to give it a go, and get across the positive difference it makes switching even the occasional journey from car to public transport, for our planet, healthy living, and local communities.”

Rail Minister Wendy Morton said:

“I am honoured to be involved in this year’s Community Rail Week as we encourage people to ‘give the train a try’ and welcome more passengers to our railways. The rail network is an integral part of our communities, connecting us together and providing opportunities that improve our lives in many different ways.

I encourage everyone to try and make a trip on a train this week and experience our brilliant railways first-hand.”

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer of the Rail Delivery Group, said:

 “This Community Rail Week, we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone onto our network and connecting them to the people and places they love. We encourage people to give the train a try not only because it’s one of the greenest forms of transport, but also because it boosts local businesses and the wider economy.”

The award-winning rail safety competition, Backtrack: Create it, Share it, Save lives, which highlights the dangers of trespassing on the railway, is back for a third year.

The 2022 competition was launched at Glasgow Queen Street Station, with colleagues from across the rail industry handing out activity sheets to young people asking them to create content to share with their peers to save lives.

The competition is organised by the Community Rail Education Network, a collective of community rail partnerships (CRPs), train operating companies, station adopters and other stakeholders with an interest in railway education.

This year the group are focusing on challenging people who trespass on our railway for likes and shares on social media. Entrants are being asked to create a simple but powerful message, to make others aware of the dangers of trespassing and to encourage them to stop.

The launch event in Glasgow was organised by ScotRail, who were joined by representatives from Network Rail, Community Rail Lancashire, the Tyne Valley, Highland Main Line, Strathallan, and East Lothian CRPs, and volunteers involved with ScotRail’s Adopt-a-Station program.

ScotRail’s community development executive, Tracy Stevenson, said: “We have been happy to support the Backtrack competition for the last couple of years and we were delighted to be able to host this year’s launch event here in Scotland. It is vital that the rail industry supports and encourages projects that seek to inform and educate young people of the dangers of trespassing on our railways.”

Also helping to launch the 2022 event were year 4 pupils from Rainbird School, part of the Excelsior Academy in Newcastle, who took part in a trip to the National Railway Museum in York and provided the competition with its first 30 entries.

Felicity Machnicki, Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership Officer, said: “The pupils enjoyed creating entries and filming their pledges as part of a fun day on the railway. Their trip was part of their project based learning working with LNER and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership where they gained a real life experience of careers in the rail network by meeting LNER staff, as well as greater knowledge of the history of the railways while seeing the fantastic exhibits in the museum. The Backtrack activities added some extra life skills to the day which we hope the pupils will share with their families and friends.”

There are two ways to enter this year’s Backtrack competition, which is open to two age categories, under 11s and young people aged 12 to 18. Entrants can either create a social media graphic or make a 20 second pledge video. Videos can be submitted by individuals or groups, but they must be filmed in a safe environment.

Entrants can either upload their entries online at www.backtrackcompetition.co.uk, send them in the post, or tag Backtrack on social media. All details including entry forms, pledge cards, and teaching materials can be found on the website.

The competition closes on 30^th September 2022, after which a selection of videos and graphics will be chosen by a panel of judges to form a montage that will be shown across railway social media, school safety sessions and at selected stations across the UK. Winning entries will receive a Go-Pro hero 9 bundle or rail cards as prizes.

Chair of Community Rail Education Network, Karen Bennett, said: “I am thrilled that Backtrack is back. It concerns me that young people are still trespassing on the railway to take short-cuts or film videos for social media and putting their lives at risk. We need to spread the message ‘Keep off the tracks’ far and wide so that everyone is aware how dangerous the railway environment can be if used inappropriately.”

Backtrack won the ‘Involving Children and Young People’ award at the 2021 Community Rail Awards.

Between January and March 2023, artist & writer Lizzie Lovejoy engaged with community members who live on, or have used, the Bishop to Darlington railway line. This line was the first in the world, and paved the way for trains across the globe, permanently altering transport as we knew it.

As Lizzie learned about stories and culture surrounding this historic location, they created a series of visual artworks for display at the station platforms along the route, translating local memory into an art trail. This also includes a series of poetic works exploring the impact of the railways on local, working-class culture.

In the spring and summer, Lizzie will lead walks and workshops across Shildon and Newton Aycliffe. Station exhibition will launch in spring 2023, supported by The Bishop Line CRP.

Lizzie has also been visiting the Darlington Hippodrome archives and will be showcasing an expanded range of work based around our local rail history and the postcards kept in the theatre. This exhibition will launch on May 3rd 2023.

You can find out more about the project at  https://www.lizzielovejoy.com/Ongoing-Projects/trail-ways

A collaborative community art project celebrating Shildon’s heritage as the world’s first railway town has been unveiled at Shildon station. Led by Greenfield Arts, the project has captured more than 110 voices from across the community and these voices have shaped the design and creation of a new artistic gateway for Shildon Station.

Vibrant artwork has been installed on the platform transforming signage, waiting shelters and station furniture for Bishop Line passengers, visitors and the community to enjoy. Creative Director at Greenfield Arts has worked alongside designers Sally Pilkington and Nic Golightly to bring about the transformation which celebrates Shildon’s rich heritage past, present and future.

Robert Whitehouse, Chair of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership commented, “Shildon in Motion has been a truly collaborative project and that’s why we were so keen to be involved. From the first meeting it was clear how the residents of Shildon could help make their station a celebration of Shildon’s heritage. This project also shows the collaboration of many different artists to create a stunning outcome, researchers, writers, graphic designers, singers and visual artists. We hope the artwork will bring a sense of positivity and happiness to everyone using the station.

Kerry Peters, Regional Director at Northern said: “We’re always delighted to work on community projects and this artwork will provide a warm welcome to residents and visitors to Shildon. The hard work and creativity that has gone into this project is something for everyone in the community to embrace, enjoy and be proud of and has transformed the station.”

The artwork displayed at Shildon station, which is managed by the train operator, has created an artistic gateway to the town and celebrates the area as a place of significance and possibility for those that arrive, visit and pass through the area.

“Greenfield Arts were delighted to work with partners and the community to uncover stories and hear from a range of voices that have informed the new artwork and allowed us all to shout about Shildon as a place to be and of possibility with a rich past.” said Katy Milne, Creative Director.

The project was supported by Northern Heartlands which is one of 16 Great Place Schemes in England, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England and the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership including Locomotion, Shildon Station Adoption Group (New Shildon Residents Association), Friends of the National Railway Museum (North East Branch), Northern and Shildon Town Council, and alongside Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Across 2 days around 200 students from years 10 & 12 learned the benefits of travelling by train to gain independence and visit destinations along the Bishop Line such as Locomotion at Shildon. They also heard hard hitting messages about rail trespass and how to stay safe on the railway.

Felicity Machnicki, Officer for the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership commented, “We believe that over the past year, young people haven’t had the opportunities to travel that they usually would, so there are many of teenagers and young adults who don’t know how to travel independently by train. More importantly, new data reveals a shocking 138% increase in trespass incidents along the East Coast route after the public emerged from national lockdown and with the summer holidays fast approaching we are aiming to tackle this issue now.”

She added “Together with the learning and engagement team at Locomotion, we have been introducing students at UTC South Durham to the benefits of rail travel in terms of social benefits and for future training and employment opportunities. We also launched the exciting Backtrack competition which encourages young people to create a song, storyboard, short film, animation or script to help increase the awareness of the dangers of trespassing on the railways to other young people and their families. More information about Backtrack can be found at www.backtrackcompetition.co.uk. Entries close on the 30th September 2021.

Catherine Purvis-Mawson, Vice Principal at UTC South Durham said “Ensuring that our students are not only learning about the importance of rail safety but are also developing their experiences and independence to become life ready is what we offer at the UTC. We are really pleased to have the partnership with Bishop Rail and Locomotion and look forward to working with them more in the future.”

The Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership is once again giving passengers free ‘friendly’ face coverings at Bishop Auckland Station.

As the world starts to open up again, many of the population have now been vaccinated, and the number of people travelling by train along the Bishop Line begins to increase, the partnership is asking passengers to be mindful of fellow travellers.

During the past year passengers classed as key or essential workers have continued to use the train and have grown comfortable doing so, however passengers who have been shielding, homeworking or just not needed to travel, may find it daunting returning to train travel. This is where the partnership is asking for the help of its passengers to make everyone’s journey as friendly and comfortable as possible.

Felicity Machnicki, officer for the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership and mental health first aider at Darlington borough council commented,

“Bishop Line ‘friendly’ face coverings are available free of charge to passengers to help ‘pass on a smile’ to people returning to the railway. As our passengers return to the Bishop Line, we’d like to see the sense of community return too.

“Face coverings are still essential to help control the spread of coronavirus along with other measures, but they can take away some of the social interaction which take place when you travel by train. A smile from fellow passenger could make someone feel more comfortable on their first train journey since lockdown. With spirits raised they pass on that smile to another passenger, and so on. We designed the ‘friendly’ face coverings to start that chain reaction and help bring a sense of comfort  back to our passengers during these changing times”.

Marie Addison, Community and Sustainability Manager for Northern, added:

“At Northern, we are working hard to make travelling by train safe, by cleaning all carriages and key stations every day, placing extra focus on cleaning touchpoints like handrails and armrests, using an anti-viral sanitiser which stops the virus for longer plus our staff are on hand to help and are working harder than ever to make travelling on the Bishop Line safe and enjoyable”.

Whether you’re taking your first trip by train since lockdown or you’re a seasoned traveller there are some precautions set by the government which you should follow to help keep yourself, other passengers and transport staff safe:

• You must wear a face covering on public transport and in substantially enclosed areas of transport hubs in England, unless you are exempt

• You should stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre while wearing a face covering.
• limit the number of people or households that you come into contact with, for example, by avoiding the busiest routes, as well as busy times, such as the rush hour
• travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where seating arrangements allow
• avoid loud talking, shouting or singing
• wash or sanitise your hands regularly

• avoid touching your face
• only touch surfaces where required for safe travel
• dispose of waste safely, including items such as used disposable face coverings

The ‘friendly’ face coverings are available from Bishop Auckland Station while stocks last and will be given out thanks to the support of Bishop Trains staff.

3,000 community rail volunteers and local partnerships will support a push following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of a grassroots movement – including Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership – have continued to strive for Northern England’s communities and work towards a greener transport future, despite the pandemic.

Figures from Community Rail Network’s Community Rail in the North briefing – sponsored by Rail Delivery Group – (being launched today, 24 March 2021) highlight that over 3,000 volunteers give over 140,000 hours annually, valued at £11.7 million, to improve social inclusion and wellbeing, promote sustainable and healthy travel, and support economic development, in their local area.

Working with the North’s 20 community rail partnerships and 350 station groups, they engage local people with their railways and stations, working with train operators, local authorities, and other partners. Activities include: volunteering, community gardening and biodiversity projects at stations; community arts and heritage projects; work with rail industry partners towards improvements and integration, such as shelters, signage, pedestrian and cyclist access; and events, workshops and activities to promote sustainable travel, bring people together, and celebrate the local community.

Community rail is now looking forward to playing a pivotal role in building back better from Covid, and helping our railways to be a vital component of a greener, more inclusive way forward as part of a ‘green recovery’.

Between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, The Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership is engaging with its communities to help people get the most from their local railway, promoting social inclusion and safe sustainable travel, working alongside train operators to bring about improvements, and bringing stations back to life. Some of the Bishop Line’s priorities include:

• Reinvigorate passenger rail confidence such as Bishop Line’s recent free smiley face coverings campaign
• Encourage train travel for local days out to tourist attractions along the Bishop Line and Tees Valley Line
• Expand its membership to reflect the diverse make-up of communities along the Bishop Line
• Community Engagement to understand the rail travel needs of the local community through station and community events and engagement meetings
• Work with Northern to provide a half hourly service between Bishop Auckland and Darlington
• Work with Weardale Railway to improve connections at Bishop Auckland

Commenting on the importance of the community rail movement in the North of England, Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network said:

“Community rail works to make our railways community-minded and inclusive, and promotes sustainable travel by rail, bringing people together and bolstering local pride and wellbeing. In the North, community rail partnerships and groups have adapted and responded, supporting communities through the pandemic, maintaining positivity, and advising rail partners on shifting local needs. As we start to rebuild from Covid-19, within the community rail movement, and across our railways, we will be redoubling efforts, to create confidence and togetherness, and play our part in enabling more people to get around by socially and environmentally responsible means. Community rail is all about communities and connectedness, and people working together locally to make things better for each other and our shared future – that couldn’t be more important right now.”

Robert Whitehouse, Chair of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership said:

“A huge part of what our partnership aims to do is consult with our community to find out what its needs are in terms of rail travel. Given that we are not currently able to meet with our passengers, our local charities, our key employers, or our local residents face to face, we ask you to come to us in whichever way you feel comfortable to share your views. We are contactable by email enquiries@bishopline.org we also have a facebook page and Twitter page where you can message us directly. We welcome your comments.”

It has been over a year since many of us have travelled our regular journeys by train. For some people working from home has its benefits such as no commuting, but for others, the chance for reflection and ‘me time’ which you experience while travelling by train is something they’re keen to experience again.

If you enjoy the social aspect of travelling in a carriage listening to other voices and hearing snippets of their day, then chances are you’ll love OUR LINE. It’s an app based play which you listen to on your smart phone, and tells the story of Nora, her family and life in communities along the Bishop Line in modern day and back to the birth of railways.

OUR LINE, created by artist Hannah Bruce, and starring Darlington based actress Jade Byrne, was first created to be listened to by passengers on the Bishop Line. Listeners met at Darlington Station, put headphones on and listened to the story relating to the scenery out of the train windows as they travelled all the way to Bishop Auckland. After great success in 2018, the show has now been made available to listen to from home or wherever you happen to be.

Felicity Machnicki, Officer for the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership said:

“For me, Our Line is a starting point for people to talk again. Whether that’s about what they recognise in the story, or it’s a song that sparked a memory, or that it made them think of a family member. I am looking forward to a feeling of connection on the Bishop Line again. When our passengers can come on to the trains for all journeys, whether they are heading to the shops with friends, nervously going to a job interview, taking a sightseeing trip or just because they love looking out of the window and daydreaming. I look forward to hearing passengers talking about Our Line or their experiences of Lockdown, it’s the sounds of chatter of all ages that I look forward to hearing again.”

The show is inspired by the fond memories and family legends collected from local people. In summer 2017, a team from Hannah Bruce & Co and the show’s commissioners, Luxi, spent time travelling the route and chatting to local people about their lives and family memories, and those brilliant stories went into the creation of a script. Hannah and her collaborators mixed it into an audio story timed to start on Darlington Station, then accompany audience members onto the train and finish neatly as they pull into Bishop Auckland at the end of the line.

As 2020 evolved we realised that a new approach would be needed and that the opportunity to use the same app based system could bring the 35 minute show to audiences in their own homes; and instead of tying the show times to exactly the times of the train schedule, this time people can experience Our Line whenever and wherever they like.

Marie Addison, Community and Sustainability Manager for Northern, said:

“We are proud to continue supporting such a fantastic initiative which gives people anywhere in the world the chance to experience, virtually, all that the Bishop Line has to offer. With the current restrictions because of coronavirus Our Line is a great way to enjoy the railway from the comfort of your own home.”

It’s really easy, anyone can register for a ticket and get the instructions to download the app by visiting the Our Line page at www.jabberwockymarket.org.uk, you just need a smartphone or tablet and headphones. It’s free of charge thanks to funding from Arts Council England and support from The Bishop Line, Northern, University of York and other companies.

After the show there is a short survey as we’d love to know what you think and we know from last time that most people have a lot they want to chat about afterwards. Audiences are encouraged to share thoughts using the #OurLine on twitter and Instagram, and the Jabberwocky Market facebook page.

Caroline Pearce, Director of Luxi and Producer of Jabberwocky Market pop-up theatre events, said:

“Years ago I came across a project in New York City called the A Train Plays, in which a group of actors and theatre creatives boarded the Subway to make and perform a brand new play by the time the train returned to the start of its circular route. I found the idea inspiring and often think about how the feeling of being on a train can be like being an audience, how the changing view out of the window can change your mood and affect what you’re doing or seeing and it makes me think of different ways that theatre can be made for, and told in, the confines of a train carriage.

 After the success of the pilot we’ve been committed to creating more like that; since that’s not currently possible it’s been great to work together and find alternative ways to share stories with our communities and exciting to imagine how an online version could be loved all around the world.”

 Hannah Bruce, lead artist said:

“I particularly enjoyed meeting people along the Bishop Line who have such wonderful stories to tell about the past and present. Sound is a fantastic tool for triggering the imagination, and I feel as though Our Line almost allows me to meet past generations, who still influence the lives and landscape of people living along The Bishop Line today. For me, this is a story about how different generations imagine each other, and we can vividly imagine the landscapes through the train window.”

Listings

Dates:             Our Line is live online now

Times:             whenever you like

Location:       wherever you have access to a smart device and headphones (you need to be online to download the app but don’t need to be online to listen to the show)

Tickets:           free to listen – visit the Luxi website

It is with regret that I inform you of the death of the Partnership’s President, Douglas Hamilton.

Doug, as he was known to many of us, passed away on Sunday 15th November. He had been unwell for a couple of weeks by all accounts, though lucid and coping, but went into a rapid and unexpected decline.

For those of you who did not know Doug well, I have gleaned a few insights into his varied life. Doug started as a Civil Engineer in the rail industry following his father who was a station master at a number of stations. Following this, he joined Durham County Council Road Construction Unit and led on many national projects including the M62 motorway.  In 1974 he became head of the Public Passenger Transport Unit dealing with both Bus and Rail. He was instrumental in taking a regional approach to rail and he led on this unified approach.

Doug was instrumental in setting up the Friends of the Heritage Line, which was a precursor to Community Rail. When Community rail was formed this then transferred into the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership. Doug stayed in Durham after his retirement for many years and eventually moved to Cheshire to be closer to his daughter, Rachel.

Doug’s knowledge of rail was immense and extremely helpful to the Partnership and we shall miss him.

Stuart Woods, our Secretary, who was a personal friend of Doug will attend the funeral to represent the North East rail community.

Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership is making face coverings available free of charge to rail passengers who need them helping passengers travel safely this summer.

The UK made masks have been produced to distribute to Bishop Line passengers to help them travel safely. They aim to help increase passenger confidence since the government has advised that people may use public transport where walking or cycling is not possible.

Face coverings are now a requirement when travelling on public transport and will be mandatory when visiting shops and supermarkets from tomorrow (24^th July).

Robert Whitehouse, Chair of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership commented “The Bishop Line is a vital transport link connecting communities between Darlington and Bishop Auckland. Many passengers using the train do so for shopping and leisure journeys, both of which have seen a huge drop in passenger numbers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Now that the government has made public transport available to more people for journeys where walking or cycling is not possible, we want to help our community to feel safe when travelling by train. Insights from the latest Transport Focus Covid-19 Travel Survey – week 11, tell us that currently two thirds (65%) of people surveyed in the UK agree that face coverings will improve feelings of safety.”

He added “We also recognize the thought of wearing a mask can be a little daunting, it can also make it more difficult to connect with fellow passengers so we added the Bishop Line smile to bring a bit of happiness into our passengers day.’

The masks are available from Bishop Auckland Station while stocks last and will be given out thanks to the support of Bishop Trains staff.

They are available in a variety of sizes, free of charge and the sizes are as follows:

Small (older child): 160 x 75mm | 140mm

Medium: 160 x 75mm | 150mm

Large: 160 x 85mm | 190mm

Extra Large: 160 x 85mm | 210mm

The masks selected are made here in the UK from a soft polyester material with elastic straps, whilst this product is not suitable for medical use, it is great for adding extra protection from the spread of germs. Complete with an internal pouch suitable for adding your own carbon filter (filter not provided). This mask is machine washable at 60 degrees, ensuring that it can be cleaned and worn time and time again.

WASHABLE AT 60°.

MADE IN THE UK!

CONTAINS POCKET FOR FILTER.