Guided Walks
The Penistone Line Partnership organises regular guided walks from the line. The next walks are planned for Saturdays 18 October, 1, 15 November and 6, 20 December 2008.
The Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line has a busy programme of guided walks from the S & C and Morecambe lines throughout the year.
The Friends of DalesRail also organises regular walks from West Yorkshire using rail services (see http://www.friendsofdalesrail.org/ ).
Music Trains
Regular evening music trains run on the Penistone Line, usually on specific Mondays. The next date is now 22 December 2008 (Christmas). These use the 1918 Huddersfield and 2041 Sheffield return trains. Contact the Penistone Line Partnership for details.
Christmas Shopping Trains
On Thursdays 27 November to 18 December 2008 inclusive an additional train for late evening Christmas shopping will run between Carlisle and Kirkby Stephen at 2057 from Carlisle returning from Kirkby Stephen at 2200.
National Community Rail Awards 2008
The South Pennines Rail Partnership won ‘Best Marketing Plan’ for its Penistone Line Partnership Marketing Plan at this year’s National Community Rail Awards Gala Dinner held in Plymouth. The Awards reward excellence and promote best practice in community rail development. The Penistone Line Marketing Plan set out what the Partnership aimed to achieve in the year 2008/09, through working with Northern Rail (the Train Operating Company), and Stakeholders. The overall aim being to deliver an increased awareness of the railway beyond the boundary fence; engagement with the community; and increased off peak patronage.
The Partnership was also successful in receiving Third Prize in the ‘Involving Community Groups’ category, for it’s project ‘Reaching out in the South Pennines’, which has involved working with Minority Ethnic Groups in the Lockwood and Thornton Lodge area, Kirklees College (formerly Huddersfield Technical College), and The Punjabi School at the Guru Nanak Gurdwala Sikh Temple. The partnership has held workshops to raise the awareness of rail travel which has included planning and going on a rail journey
The Partnership was also shortlisted in ‘Community Art Schemes’, for it’s project ‘Catch the Creative Train’, which ran over Summer 2007; and local volunteer Jean Margetts was shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Volunteer Contribution’ category. Jean regularly helps at the Rail and River Centre in Slaithwaite, and has been involved in several projects with both the South Pennines Rail Partnership, and with the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP). West Yorkshire Station Manager, Matthew Gibson was shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Railway Staff Contribution’, for his work in promoting and engaging with the Station Partnerships along the Caldervale line.
Rowena Chantler, Community Rail Officer for the South Pennines Rail Partnership said: ‘We are very pleased to be recognised for our work with the local community in the National Community Rail Awards. South Pennines Rail Partnership, Penistone Line Partnership, and our many volunteers have worked hard to involve the many communities that surround the railway in our area.’
Heidi Mottram, Managing Director, Northern Rail said: ‘South Pennines Rail Partnership and its volunteers are worthy winners of these awards. As a young partnership they have already made a great impact in engaging with communities along the routes we serve and I’m sure they will go from strength to strength.’
