Community rail partnerships

A (hopefully) comprehensive listing

Last update 5 April 2022

Additional information is always gratefully received, whether entirely new records (particularly historical records) or information to fill in gaps or correct errors, via the contact link under the Miscellaneous entry in the navigation bar above. Thank you.

Please select a feature list from the links below:

This is a list of British railway services designated as community rail services, intended to give local groups a greater say in how their train services are run. Where possible an entire route (including infrastructure) is designated, but were infrastructure constraints are present (e.g. presence of too much other traffic, particularly freight, or part of the Trans European Network) only the train service is designated. Information about individual designations is available on this government page.

Line Between… Route or service? Designation date
St Ives Bay line Pilot project St Erth-St Ives Route and service July 2005 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Abbey line Pilot project St Albans-Watford Junction Route and service July 2005 renewed December 2020
Esk Valley line Pilot project Middlesbrough-Whitby Route and service July 2005 also 'awarded' July 2020 - renewal?
Tamar Valley line Pilot project Plymouth-Gunnislake Service September 2005 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Tamar Valley line Pilot project St Budeaux-Gunnislake Route September 2005 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Looe Valley line Pilot project Liskeard-Looe Route and service September 2005 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Penistone line Pilot project Barnsley-Huddersfield Route and service September 2005 also 'awarded' March 2020 - renewal?
Island line Ryde Pier Head-Shanklin Route and service March 2006 not in 2021 list
Poacher line Pilot project Grantham-Skegness Service July 2006 renewed January 2020
Derwent Valley line Derby-Matlock Service July 2006 also 'awarded' January 2020 - renewal?
Derwent Valley line Ambergate-Matlock Route September 2006 also 'awarded' January 2020 - renewal?
Tarka line Barnstaple-Exeter Service September 2006 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Tarka line Barnstaple-Cowley Bridge Junction Route September 2006 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Maritime line Falmouth-Truro Route and service September 2006 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Atlantic Coast line Par-Newquay Service September 2006 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Marston Vale line Bletchley-Bedford Service November 2006 also 'awarded' February 2020 - renewal?
East Lancashire line Colne-Preston extended to include Burnley Manchester Road January 2011 Service November 2006 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
East Lancashire line Colne-Burnley (Gannow Junction) Route November 2006 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
Gainsborough line Marks Tey-Sudbury Route and service November 2006 now covered by Essex & South Suffolk
Barton line Barton on Humber-Cleethorpes Service February 2007 not in 2021 list
Barton line Barton on Humber-Ulceby North Junction Route February 2007 not in 2021 list
Wherry line Norwich-Yarmouth and Norwich-Lowestoft Service February 2007 also 'awarded' March 2020 - renewal?
Clitheroe line Manchester-Clitheroe Service March 2007 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
Medway Valley line Strood-Paddock Wood extended to Tonbridge 17 August 2015 Service September 2007 also 'awarded' March 2020 - renewal?
Bittern line Norwich-Sheringham Service 28 September 2007 also 'awarded' March 2020 - renewal?
Bittern line North Walsham-Sheringhan Route 28 September 2007 also 'awarded' March 2020 - renewal?
Severn Beach line Severnside Bristol Temple Meads-Severn Beach Service 2 April 2008 renewed August 2020
Lakes line Oxenholme-Windermere Route and service April 2008 also 'awarded' February 2020 - renewal?
South Fylde line Blackpool South-Preston Service April 2008 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
South Fylde line Blackpool South-Kirkham and Wesham Route April 2008 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
Lymington line Brockenhurst-Lymington Route and service July 2008 not in 2021 list
North Staffordshire line Crewe-Stoke on Trent-Derby Service November 2008 renewed November 2020
Cumbrian Coast line Carlisle-Barrow in Furness Service September 2009 also 'awarded' February 2020 - renewal?
Bishop line Darlington-Bishop Auckland Service 13 January 2011 renewed November 2020
Preston-Ormskirk line Preston-Ormskirk Route and service 22 September 2011 now covered by West of Lancashire
Heart of Wessex line Bristol-Weymouth Service 10 October 2011 also 'awarded' July 2019 - renewal?
Mid Cheshire line Chester-Northwich-Manchester Service 18 January 2012 not in 2021 list
Furness line Barrow in Furness-Carnforth Service 1 June 2012 also 'awarded' February 2020 - renewal?
Avocet line Exeter St Davids-Exmouth Route and service September 2012 now covered by Devon & Cornwall
Bentham line Leeds, Lancaster and Morecambe Leeds-Morecambe/Heysham Port Service October 2012 renewed November 2020 and also covered by West of Lancashire
Glossop line Manchester-Glossop/Hadfield Route and service 25 July 2013 not in 2021 list
Buxton line Manchester-Buxton Route and service 25 July 2013 not in 2021 list
Galloway line Scottish pilot project Stranraer-Ayr Route and service June 2014
East Lothian lines Edinburgh-North Berwick/Dunbar Service 23? July 2014
Highland Main line Carrbridge-Dunkeld & Birnam Route and service July 2014
North Suburban line Glasgow Queen Street-Anniesland via Maryhill Service September 2014
Barrhead line Glasgow Central-Barrhead Service September 2014
Tyne Valley line Newcastle-Carlisle Service 2 October 2014 renewed May 2020
East Suffolk lines Ipswich-Lowestoft/Felixstowe Service 3 March 2015 also 'awarded' May 2020 - renewal?
Borders Edinburgh-Tweedbank Service 6 September 2015
West Highland line Service
Strathallan Service 2015
Hereward line Peterborough-Ely Service 22 December 2015 renewed December 2020
TransWilts line Some overlap with Heart of Wessex line Swindon-Westbury Service 29 September 2016 renewed October 2020
South West Glasgow line Service
Rail 74 (Rutherglen to Hamilton Central) Service launched 2 June 2017
North Downs Gatwick-Guildford Service launched 2017 now covered by Southeast Communities
North Downs Guildford-Reading Service extended April 2018 now covered by Southeast Communities
Cambrian Service July 2019
Chester Shrewsbury Service November 2019
Bolton & South Lancashire Service February 2020
South West Wales Connected Port Talbot Parkway-Pembroke Dock/Milford Haven/Fishguard Harbour/Cynghordy Service March 2020
Devon & Cornwall Service March 2020
High Peak & Hope Valley Service March 2020
Meldreth, Shepreth & Foxton Service May 2020
Purbeck Wareham-Swanage Service May 2020
Southeast Communities Service renewed June 2020
Essex & South Suffolk/Mayflower Line Ipswich-Felixstowe Service renewed June 2020
Essex & South Suffolk/Flitch Line Witham-Braintree Service renewed June 2020
Essex & South Suffolk/Crouch Valley Line Wickford-Southminster Service renewed June 2020
Essex & South Suffolk/Southend Line Shenfield-Southend Victoria Service renewed June 2020
Surrey Hills to South Downs Haslemere-Farncombe Service July 2020
Settle Carlisle Service renewed September 2020
West of Lancashire Service renewed November 2020
Worcestershire Service November 2020
North Cheshire Service December 2020