At the National Community Rail Awards held on 18th March at the Swansea Arena, the Cambrian Railway Partnership won the Tourism and Leisure award.
The awards were organised by the Community Rail Network, sponsored by Transport for Wales (TfW) and Great Western Railway (GWR).
Over 430 people attended, including transport leaders, officers and senior rail members, to witness the giving of the awards and prizes showing new inventive ways of getting the communities along a railway line to interact with, or to use, their local railway.
The awards highlight the community rail partnerships and the important unsung work they do as they continue to grow. To date, there are 77 community rail projects with 1,200 station groups from right across Britain, including some from overseas.
The Cambrian Railway Partnership was one of 180 entries, all vying for one of 19 awards, which included diversity, inclusion, sustainable travel, community station improvements and projects, school engagement and positive change, among several others.
One of the key reasons why they won the Tourism and Leisure award was the introduction of their new travelling audio guide.
‘The Cambrian Line Window Seater Audio Guide’ has been funded and developed by the Cambrian Railway Partnership, the Transport for Wales Challenge fund and the Community Rail Development fund.
Available in Welsh and English, the Window Seater app points out landmarks and geographical features while giving information from a range of subjects and telling stories. The guide is available on journeys along the 120 miles of line between Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth and up the coast to Pwllheli.
This not only interacts and engages with its passengers, but ensures a more in-depth travel experience as you pass along one of the country’s scenic railways, ensuring that you won’t miss anything when looking out the window.
We are thrilled and immensely proud to be recognised with this esteemed Community Rail Award in Tourism and Leisure. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and collaborative effort of the Cambrian Railway Partnership and the communities we serve, who have been instrumental in bringing these stories to life, preserving history, promoting our rich culture and creating memorable journeys along the Cambrian Line.”
Claire Williams, Cambrian Railway Partnership Development Officer
Our Community Rail Awards give deserved recognition to community rail partnerships, groups and volunteers across Britain. The awards ceremony showcased the great value of community rail, helping to build stronger, fairer, greener communities, served and connected by their railways and wider sustainable transport network. Our congratulations to the Cambrian Railway Partnership and to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who supports and champions community rail, helping the movement to go from strength to strength.”
Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network
The Community Rail Awards are important in recognising the incredible work of volunteers and community groups improving our rail network. I was lucky enough to see first-hand the difference these projects are making when I met with some of those taking part including during my rail tour last summer. Whether it’s improving accessibility in stations or engaging with young people about rail, I’d like to thank each and everyone for their contribution and the impact they’ve made.”
Rail Minister Huw Merriman MP
We were thrilled to co-sponsor this year’s awards in beautiful Swansea and celebrate the amazing work being done across the UK and particularly across our own network. We’re so lucky to be able to work with so many amazing communities and organisations through our Community Rail Partnerships and we really believe that by connecting and encouraging collaboration among businesses and organisations in local communities, we can empower those communities to work together on a whole range of social, economic, cultural and environmental issues, as well as showcase the best our network has to offer.”
Marie Daly, chief customer and culture officer, of Transport for Wales,
Responses
I would say that while I do agree about the horrible seating on the new Aventras, Class 80x and 700, there are still some gems on the network. I would say the Inter-City 225 is one of the best, then the EMR class 810s and 222s, the pendilinos and voyagers on Avanti west coast, or you could ride a rail tour every day!
Alas, far too many of the modern carriages have been devised on the basis of, “Let’s cram as many into the passenger space as possible. After all, it seems to be assumed, travelling is a means of getting from A to B and not for enjoying the landscape though which the train passes. Like the Victorian Parliamentary trains.”
The MK1 carriages were excellent, in that seats were actually appropriately aligned with windows. Designed for the traveller who wants to enjoy the process of going from A to B.
Does the window seat guide include a seat with a window to see out of ?