Tamar Valley Line Impact Evaluation

Our Customer

Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership are a non-profit partnership between local authorities, the railway and Plymouth University, where their team is based.

What we were asked

The purpose of the study was to identify the value of the current rail service, taking into account a range of stakeholders and assess the impact that any changes on the services would have on the various communities and stakeholders.

What we did

Our study took account of different aspects of the rail service and its impact on:

Meeting the travel needs of individual users

The strategic objectives of local agencies

The social capital of the communities served

Economic aspects of local businesses

Overarching themes such as tourism, the environment and the line’s place as part of the wider transport network.

Outcomes

We delivered the following:

Rapid Baseline Mapping - this involved mapping all of the current passenger transport provision in the Tamar Valley to provide an understanding of the railway and its place as a key part of the wider transport network. Demographic data was also examined to present a profile of travel habits in the area

Rail Benefits Appraisal - consistent with general rail benefits evaluations elsewhere, this centred on a valuation framework drawing on a broad range of evidence and data, including a targeted survey of stakeholder agencies expected to benefit from rail usage

Rail User Survey - rail users were surveyed in to establish current attitudes to and opinions of the line, including feedback on how individuals value the line and its relation to their lifestyles, activities and spending habits

General Travel Survey - this supplementary survey obtained a broader set of feedback from those in the Tamar Valley catchment area who, for whatever reason, were not all currently rail users

Impact Evaluation of Service Changes - we considered a number of options around service changes using a range of evaluation criteria including benefits/drawbacks for passengers, operators, local agencies (statutory, business sector), cost implications, environmental, modal choice/shift, sustainability and viability.

Our report presented our detailed findings and highlighted the key service benefits and future development options that emerged from the study.

Response

Councillor Dorothy Kirk (Cornwall Council) “This study has gone into great depth proving just how key the line is to the people of the valley and the economy and thus help make the case for its improvement and development.”

Richard Burningham (Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership Manager): “This is a really interesting study, the first anywhere that has looked at a rural line and sought to estimate the railway’s contribution in pretty much all ways to the communities it serves and the economy. It very much underlines the importance of the Tamar Valley Line.”

Linked Pages

Light & Community Rail