Sussex rail partnership gets the credit

The Sussex Rail Community Partnership (‘SCRP’), the local community interest company which promotes greater use of train travel and other public transport, has just been awarded accreditation status by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Accreditation is formal recognition by the DfT that a community rail partnership operates to a high standard and that its objectives and activities are supported by the government.

Tim Barkley is chair of the SCRP, and was delighted at the news. He said :- “Accreditation is our badge of honour, being recognised by the government as working to a high standard, and delivering good results.

“I am very grateful to my colleagues at the SCRP, both the small number of paid staff and the much larger number of volunteers, who work tirelessly to promote sustainable transport. They also put a lot of time and effort into preparing for accreditation, and securing accreditation reflects very well on the whole team. We also have tremendous support from the train operating companies we work with and numerous partners on all of our line groups, they too play a vital role in our work.

“The SCRP has grown considerably since it was formed in 2002 and now covers seven lines, not just within Sussex but stretching into Kent, Surrey and Berkshire. We aim to connect local communities with their railway, and in a world increasingly aware of the environment, this is becoming ever more important.

“From encouraging thousands of children and others to ‘try the train’ through many community-led initiatives to improve local stations, and much, much more, we have achieved a lot in the last 17 years, and accreditation is recognition of the hard work so many people have put in over the years.

“My fellow directors – and we are all volunteers ourselves – and I are very proud of what has been achieved with such strong community support, and look forward to doing even more over the months and years ahead.”

Some of the partnerships’ directors and volunteers on a promotional stand at London Bridge station.