Michael Parker-Bray
A pair of community rail projects in Devon and Cornwall have been shortlisted for national awards.
The 2025 Community Rail Awards will be held in Newcastle in March. The shortlists include:
Tourism and Leisure award
Rail Ale Trails
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and Blackmore Vale Line Community Rail Partnership teamed up for a revitalised promotion of real ale pubs along community rail lines. Read more
CASE STUDY | With widespread pub closures an issue of national concern, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership supports nearly a hundred real ale pubs through our Rail Ale Trail scheme.
A new promotion has been launched to encourage people from near and far to visit local pubs by train.
The Salisbury – Exeter Rail Ale Trail includes 19 pubs along the railway that links the two cities, all of them within easy reach of the stations in the towns and villages it serves. Read more
CASE STUDY | atlBuilding on our experience creating and running the official DartmoorLine.com website, we have developed the website, logo and visual brand for the £56m Mid Cornwall Metro project.
CASE STUDY | DCRP came together with GWR, local authorities and bus operators to produce and promote a series of 10 ‘travelogue’ short films to inspire visits to leisure destinations across Devon and Cornwall using joined-up sustainable transport.
Marsh Barton station is now open – becoming Exeter’s ninth railway station.
A special ceremony was held yesterday at the station attended by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, in advance of the start of passenger services today (Tuesday 4th July 2023).
Opening the station with Mark Harper was Ben Roberts-Mitchell (pictured centre of front row), a local resident who despite having a rare genetic condition has been enthusiastically watching as the station construction progressed. Read more
CASE STUDY | Swashbuckling treasure hunt to encourage families to visit Looe by train
The Devon & Cornwall Railcard has become the first regional railcard in the UK to go digital.
Residents in Devon and Cornwall, aged 16 or over, can now purchase the railcard, download it to their phone and use it to save up to a 1/3 on standard class rail fares. Read more
Carnet tickets on the Tamar Valley Line are currently half price thanks to a special offer.
What is a carnet?
Carnets are books of five Anytime Day Return tickets. They are valid on any day on any train until 30 June 2023. Read more
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and GWR staff got ‘decked out’ as pirates at Plymouth station this week to launch a themed treasure hunt to inspire families to visit Looe by train.
Looe Pirate Trail starts today (Monday 3rd April 2023) and invites swashbuckling youngsters to “find the crew lost in Looe”. Read more
Project partners, funders and former railway staff gathered at Okehampton station today to mark the completion of the station heritage restoration project, part of the overall Dartmoor Line reopening work.
Former train driver and County Councillor Richard Westlake cut a ribbon to open the heritage display in the old booking office. Read more
CASE STUDY | To respond to people’s urge to get back outdoors following the pandemic, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) mounted a year-long campaign to promote the scenic ‘walks from the railway’ available across the two counties.
CASE STUDY | With all the excitement and attention surrounding the re-opening of Okehampton station the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) working with Mayes Creative (MC), wanted to ensure communities in Okehampton and Crediton were engaged with the railway in as broad a way as possible across all age groups, abilities and interests.
CASE STUDY | Turning an eyesore into an asset for the local community
On Saturday 24th September, Okehampton station will be the setting for Destination Dartmoor, an event celebrating the history of the railway and Dartmoor through film, photography and art.
Running from 10 00 until 16 30, the event will feature a number of pop up events throughout the day as well as guided walks from the station. Read more
Hollywood came to Barnstaple last week at the film premiere of four new promotional videos showing how easy it is to explore North Devon by train and bus.
The films highlight the easy onward bus connections at Barnstaple railway station to destinations including Ilfracombe, Instow, Bideford and Lynton. Read more
At the national Community Rail Awards, held in Southampton on Thursday 9th December, the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, GWR and Network Rail won the ‘Best Communications’ category for their work to inform people about the reopening of the Okehampton-Exeter line and to involve the community. Read more
CASE STUDY | More than 75 entries showcased talent within the community
Two of our projects have been shortlisted for the 2021 Community Rail Awards.
Our joint communications and marketing work with Great Western Railway, Network Rail and other partners to promote the upcoming re-opening of the Dartmoor Line (Exeter-Crediton-Okehampton) has been shortlisted in the Best Communications category. Read more