OUR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSJOURNEY STARTS WITH YOU

Community Impact Report2019

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Introduction from Managing DirectorTom Joyner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Digital and social media help keepcommunities updated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

CrossCountry colleagues are living the Arriva values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

New team look to build even betterrelationship with stakeholders . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hybrid electric car is providing vital ruraltransport links with stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Specialist training helps rail volunteersraise their media profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Two new CRPs form with support andadvice from CrossCountry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Community Rail in the City extravaganzaat stations across the UK . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

Surprise family reunions wrapped up in abig pink box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Major support for CRPs praised bynational organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Delivering outstanding service forour customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

Engineers of the future receive expertadvice from CrossCountry . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

Placement students join action day tospruce up a station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Community conference highlights threeyears of partnership working . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Working with chaplains to raise mental health awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Great Causes scheme helps fundcommunity bleed kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Serving up financial support for newrailway station cafes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Three inspiring winners of ACoRPcommunity awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25

Focus on good works by volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27

Partnership project helps raise rail safety awareness for children . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Extending use of Augmented Reality . .29

Helping to power sustainable journey toDestination Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31

Volunteers create a wildlife-friendlypergola at railway station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

New bus services provide links withstations and scenic trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Down the line – MD Tom Joyner looks to the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Financial summary of support forCommunity Rail Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . 35

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

WELCOME to the latest issue ofour community impact report.Here you will see some of thecontributions CrossCountry andour people have made to theplaces our trains serve and thewider communities across GreatBritain.

For almost 200 years therailway has contributed to thesocial and economic growth ofour nation. Trains do more thanjust carry people from A to B.

They take people shopping, towork, to visit friends and relativesand for holidays. They carrybusinesspeople to meetings,goods to shops and markets andstudents to university. In all, ourrailways are with us throughoutour lives; helping us in so manyways, both to travel and bysupporting the towns and citieswhere we live and work.

I am proud that CrossCountryis contributing to this greattradition.

We touch more of GreatBritain than any other passengerrail operator, working with andconnecting communities,businesses and people the lengthand breadth of this island. Ourapproach has always been toconsider carefully our impact onthe people and places we serve,looking for ways to be supportiveand to encourage our people to

engage with and be part of thesecommunities.

This report summarises manyof the actions we’ve beeninvolved with during 2019.

There are projects where wehave worked with localCommunity Rail Partnerships todevelop and support localstations and lines, and topromote local attractions andservices or even provide supportfor community transport. Thereare vital social organisations –several of which that havebenefited from the SociallyEnterprising Toolkit we publishedlast year with ACoRP to helppeople establish successful andsustainable businesses.

Social caring has benefitedfrom a strong industry-wideapproach with which we havebeen heavily involved.

We have embraced projectsto promote diversity andinclusivity, as well as recognisingthose in need of extra supportsuch as the work to create thefirst ‘Dementia Friendly’ railwayline and support for projectspromoting health and wellbeing.

And as questions about thelong-term sustainableenvironment are raised on theinternational stage, everyone atCrossCountry is working to makea difference with schemes to

reduce our carbon footprint andincrease recycling.

As always, our people are atthe heart of how we achieve this.Many of the stories in this reportcame via our Great Causesscheme, which encourages andsupports our people incommunity-based endeavours to

deliver local benefits, such asfundraising for worthy causes orlocal community projects.

I do hope you find this reporthelpful, and that it shows thepositive contribution our businessand our people provide beyondjust running trains. I would bedelighted to hear your feedback.

Our business is about much more thanrunning trains – it supports people’s lives

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T O M J O Y N E RCROSSCOUNTRY MANAGING DIRECTOR

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TomJoyner

pictured atBirminghamNew Street

station.

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TENS of thousands of people are learningmore about CrossCountry's work withincommunities they serve through wide-rangingdigital and social media channels.

The latest addition to this family is anInstagram account that the companylaunched in 2019 to send out positivemessages – complementing its popularCommunity Hub website section, which hasgone from strength to strength.

A dedicated digital communications teamcompose the posts which appear onInstagram on a regular basis and are linked tostrong imagery and videos from around thenetwork. Already the account, which has thename “crosscountrytrains”, has nearly 3,000followers and that is growing on a weeklybasis.

CrossCountry Digital Assistant NatalieSmith said: “The team writes the messagesdepending on what is going on across thenetwork and in the business and we work

with ourMarketingteam to ensurewe are engagingrelevant target audiences.

“We also make sure the posts areconnected to and complement ourCommunity Rail Partnerships’ messages so wecan ensure we are reaching as wide anaudience as possible. We have had a reallypositive response to this with an ever-growingnumber offollowers onInstagram as

well asmany

comments andanswers to our

interactive story posts.“We have been happy to see this

engagement from our audience and hope tosee this continue to grow.”

CrossCountry also has a well-establishedFacebook page @crosscountrytrains, whichhas accrued 23,000 followers over the last ten years and a Twitter account@CrossCountryUK which is followed bynearly 100,000 people.

Among its features Facebookprovides news and informationrelevant to journeys as well as thechance to take part in CrossCountrycompetitions and giveaways.

Twitter posts are updated 24hours a day seven days a week andalso provide customers theopportunity to send directmessages with their queries orcomments, which are answered asquickly as possible.

On top of this is the CommunityHub website page, which can bevisited at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/xc-community-hub.

It provides a continually updatednews feed, information about theSocially Enterprising Toolkit – aresource for developing CommunityRail Partnerships – and otherinitiatives such as the company’sinvolvement in the development ofthe UK Scout Association’s PersonalSafety Badge (see story on oppositepage).

There is also a section dedicatedto the Community Rail Partnershipswith which CrossCountry has directinvolvement, including links to eachof their own websites.

ANDREW Clarke introduced the cubscouts in his pack to the new badgesponsored by CrossCountry wherehe works as a Revenue ManagementAnalyst.

The Personal Safety Badgeincludes sections on not trespassingon the railway, only using designatedcrossings and being safe andresponsible on station platforms.

A Railway Safety Pack which hasbeen developed by the trainoperator to help the cubs completethe badge is available to downloadon the XC Community Hub website.

As assistant leader at 232ndBirmingham Scout Group, Andrewwas keen to encourage his 25 cubscouts to take the badge.

They made good use of the RailSafety Pack, identifying safeprocedures and risk elements. “Wealso took them to Acocks Greenstation so that we could highlight

to them all the dangers of thesite,” said Andrew.

Wide range ofdigital andsocial mediahelp to keepcommunitiesupdated

Andrew introduces cub scouts to safety badgeAndrew Clarke withinformation relating

to the Cub ScoutPersonal Safety

Badge.

Driver Team Manager Chris Hill

monitors a CrossCountry

Twitter page on his tablet at

the Leicester mess room.

Uttoxeter Station Adopter PatBurton accesses the XC Hub website.

DigitalAssistant

Natalie Smithupdates the

CrossCountryInstagram

page.

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WE WORK AS ONE TEAM:AN innovative charity initiative centred aroundonboard caterers making direct appeals tocustomers was inspired by colleagues elsewherein the Arriva Group.

The brainchild of Catering Development andBuying Manager Richard Cross, the fundraisingdrive allowed each crew location to choose thegood cause they wanted to support.

“I read that Arriva Rail London were planning atrial on accepting donations to the RailwayChildren through their ticket machines and Ithought that something similar could be possibleat CrossCountry,” said Richard.

“However the scheme doesn’t rely solely ontechnology because our staff are interactingdirectly with the customers.”

Pictured are Manchester Retail ServiceManagers Lee Broadbent, left, and Steve Boothwhose fundraising boosted Cancer Research UK.

THINKING BEYOND:CONTINUOUS Improvement Champions are passing on their knowledge and expertise to colleagues under a unique learning anddevelopment initiative.

The Lean Learning Academy has been set upat CrossCountry under the guidance of Head ofBusiness Improvement Azmina Mansuri, picturedcentre with former Production Director AndreCnossen and Resource Planning ManagerMarzena Stachowiak.

An Academy course, delivered by an externalprovider, showcases the use of continuousimprovement tools and techniques to solveproblems.The aim of the scheme, which sees theparticipants returning to take their skills backinto the business to improve current processes,is to ultimately identify around 30 Champions.

DOING the right thing, great

customer experience,

thinking beyond and we work

as one team – these four

Arriva values embody

CrossCountry’s uniqueness

and its guiding principles.

From boosting train

cleanliness to unlocking

people’s talents these

examples give a taste of the

passion and commitment

which are delivering Great

Journeys round the network

on a regular basis.

THINKING BEYOND:EMPLOYEES can share knowledge and startdiscussions with Arriva colleagues thanks toa new communications channel.

A new CrossCountry-All Company Grouphas been launched on the Arriva Yammerplatform allowing people to exchange ideasin real time across the Arriva family.

To help employees become familiar withYammer and make contact with smallernumbers of colleagues, groups based onroles and locations were also establishedon the social media platform.

Pictured is Birmingham-based TrainManager Chris Powney usingYammer on board a train toBournemouth.

GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:A FRESH approach to onboard cleaning on CrossCountrytrains is paying dividends for both customers and staff.

New equipment, including customised mop heads,expandable litter pickers and new sanitiser sprays, hasbeen issued to cleaning teams to help them with theirvital work. The versatile cleaning apparatus can nowbe tailored to the cleaner’s needs depending on thesize and class of the train they have been allocated.In addition, all cleaners now undergo a three-dayinduction programme which has been introducedat CrossCountry’s Derby Training Centre.

Pictured right is cleaner Joe Connell.

DOING THE RIGHT THING:BOURNEMOUTH Driver Stuart Maunder raced

into action for a charity close to his heart bytaking part in the London Marathon.He completed the gruelling event to raise money

for Cardiomyopathy UK, a specialist organisationthat is helping his daughter Charley.Now aged 22 she was born with a heart condition

that progressively worsened and she will eventually needa transplant. Stuart, pictured with his daughter,

devised a 16-week training plan including gymwork and outdoor running to prepare for

the marathon, which he completedin four hours and 53 minutes.

DOING THE RIGHT THING:SELFLESS Judith Tray, pictured left, changedher job within CrossCountry so she couldvolunteer at the hospice where both hermum and dad passed away.

Leeds First Class Host Judith helps out atSt Gemma’s Hospice, based in the city,where her parents Diane and Henry bothreceived care for terminal illnesses.

She changed from being a Retail ServiceManager so she could give up her weekends

to volunteer at the hospice and has taken asafeguarding course to enable her to spendtime with patients.

In addition, she has been involved infundraising for St Gemma’s, which has includedtaking part in a 15,000-foot parachute jump atSkydive Hibaldstowe in Lincolnshire to raise£2,000.

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New department structure enables the businessto build even better stakeholder relationshipsPARTNERSHIP working with communitystakeholders has been strengthened by thesetting up of CrossCountry’s Corporate Affairsteam.

The roles of stakeholder liaison, franchisemanagement and communications sitside-by-side in the new departmentalstructure. Having all communications andstakeholder activity under one roof allows theteam to build important relationships withstakeholders more effectively across thenetwork.

Head of Corporate Affairs is Sally Gillespie,who recently joined CrossCountry fromChiltern Railways where she was Head ofEmployee Engagement and Learning &

Development. Sally has wide experience in anumber of corporate roles and her work hasbeen recognised by a British QualityFoundation award.

“CrossCountry’s Corporate Affairs teambrings together internal and externalcommunications as well as stakeholdermanagement,” she said.

“This enables the business to bettermaximise opportunities to build positiverelationships with key stakeholders.”

Members of the stakeholder team travelthroughout the CrossCountry network tobuild relationships with local and regionalauthorities, politicians, rail user groups,volunteers and Community Rail Partnerships.

They also work with schools and colleges,the UK Scouts Association and others toboost their understanding of the railway whileemphasising key safety issues.

Expanding CrossCountry’s engagementacross the Northern part of the network isStakeholder Liaison Manager Alex Bray, whohas previous experience of working withcommunity partners and who in his sparetime organises the hugely popular BrassFactor talent contest for Yorkshire brass bands.

Stakeholder Liaison Manager (South) JodyBall, who took up her role after joiningCrossCountry as Communications Assistant,has experience of journalism.

Stakeholder Liaison Manager (Midlands andSouth-East) David Jones is a careerrailwayman with experience in a variety ofroles including Business Development andCustomer Relations.

Head of Communications Richard Gibsonhas been in his key role at CrossCountry since2006.

Also in the Corporate Affairs Team areInternal Communications Advisor LaurenHolden, who has 10 years’ experience incommunications, media and public relations,and Communications Assistant ElleShakespeare who has a background in publicrelations and journalism.

The new Corporate Affairs team pictured outside Cannon House, Birmingham, are, left to right,Head of Corporate Affairs Sally Gillespie, Internal Communications Adviser Lauren Holden,

Stakeholder Liaison Manager Jody Ball, Communications Assistant Elle Shakespeare, StakeholderLiaison Managers David Jones and Alex Bray and Head of Communications Richard Gibson.

CROSSCOUNTRY’S Safety, Securityand Environment Plan for 2019reinforced its commitment to drivecontinuous improvement andcontribute to further reductions inrisk.

“CrossCountry is committed tosupporting the strategy and sharing

good practice throughout the trainsbusinesses,” said Safety, Security andEnvironment Director Des Lowe.

“We work closely with our industrypartners and stakeholders while ourcommitment and dedication toreducing harm and injury is second tonone.”

A commitment to sharing good practice

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A small village on Hadrian’s Wall hasprovided residents with a hybrid electriccar linking them to nearby stations in apartnership project with CrossCountry.

The unique initiative took off whenthe Tyne Valley Community RailPartnership realised the potential of

using the Socially Enterprising RailwayToolkit originated and sponsored by

the rail operator.The CRP banded together with

Go!Gilsland, the village’scommunity-led organisationset up to forge a transportlink, to obtain funding fromvarious sources for thestate-of-the-art car withpotential to carry fourpassengers and their luggage.

Financial support fromCrossCountry was critical to

the project which encouragessocial inclusion as well as

sustainable development.The vehicle, which takes

Gilsland villagers and tourists to railconnections at Haltwhistle and

Brampton as well as local bus routes,

hotels and attractions, sportsCrossCountry and Tyne Valley CRP logos.

With the car up and running sinceSeptember, the CRP is helping withpromotion together with social mediaand marketing initiatives.

Fiona Forsythe, Tyne ValleyCommunity Rail Partnership Officer,said: ‘We were delighted to be able towork with Go!Gilsland and CrossCountryto secure funding for this project.Through reading the Socially EnterprisingRailway toolkit sponsored byCrossCountry we realised that we toocould be ‘socially enterprising’ andhappily support the project.”

Alex Bray, Stakeholder LiaisonManager at CrossCountry, said: “We aredelighted to see that Tyne ValleyCommunity Railway Partnership hasbeen able to use the SociallyEnterprising Toolkit to develop an ideathat will bring the railway closer to theheart of the communities they serve.

“The use of the car will be a greatincentive to make visiting Gilsland moreaccessible and deliver a range of socialand economic benefits to the area.”

Hybrid electric car provides vitalrural transport links with nearbyrailway stations

Tyne Valley CRP Officer Fiona Forsythewith the hybrid electric car and serviceuser Joseph Codling pictured near Gilslandvillage. Inset top, Fiona and Joseph showthe Go!Gilsland logo on the car door.

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COMMUNITY Rail volunteers arebeing helped to raise their mediaprofiles thanks to support fromCrossCountry.

Representatives of CommunityRail Partnerships across thenetwork are receiving mediacoaching from communicationstraining agency CoherentCommunications (CoComms)under a three-year initiative.

During 2019 more than 10CRPs learned about using social

media and writing content forprint and online media.

At sessions in Leeds and Bristolthey took part in hands-onactivities to develop skills inshooting, editing and uploadingvideo content.

A stand-alone training sessionwas provided in Stockport tovolunteers from the Crewe toManchester and South-EastManchester CRPs.

Birmingham-based CoComms

have wide experience of workingin the rail industry.

The seminars were run byAndy Hitchcock, the Director ofCommunications Training,supported by Carole Foster, LizGoddard and technical crewmember Kieran Matthews.

The media coaches supportedthe CRPs with challengingexercises to enable them tobetter communicate their ownkey messages through video

messaging and othercommunications channels.

“It’s great to work with theseextremely enthusiasticvolunteers, equipping them withthe basic skills to reach out togather media coverage anddeliver effectivecommunications,” said AndyHitchcock.

“At the end of the sessionsthey feel empowered to use theirnew skills to secure coverage fortheir Community RailPartnerships – it’s a whole newworld for them.”

Stephen Forde, CommunityRail Officer for the Crewe toManchester CRP, said: “Thevolunteers had a great daylearning new skills and filmingthemselves.”

CoComms, funded directly byCrossCountry in 2019, are set todeliver further enhanced trainingnext year.

Peter Black, Friends of Marple station, is interviewedby John Commons, Friends of Levenshulme station,during the CoComms media training session for SouthEast Manchester and Crewe to ManchesterCommunity Rail Partnerships at Stockport. Behind thecamera is Jeroen Blom, Friends of Fairfield station.

Award for organising football tournament

Specialist training by agency helps communityrail volunteers raise their media profiles

TRAIN Manager Pete Donnelly has received a“Best of the Best” award from CrossCountryfor his role in organising a successfulfootball competition which is attended byfamily and friends of the participants.

The XC Cup has been held annually since2007 and is the biggest football tournamentin the rail industry, with competitors

including teams from Arriva companiesin Europe.

“The competition shows peoplecoming together from right across theArriva Group, giving colleagues acrossthe network the chance to make newfriends in a family atmosphere,” saidBirmingham-based Pete.

Two new CRPs established withsupport and advice from CrossCountryTWO new partnerships have beenestablished in the Midlands topromote engagement on therailways – with financial supportand advice from CrossCountry.

In the first instance,CrossCountry has joined with 10other organisations to help formthe Heart of England CommunityRail Partnership.

The CRP covers stationsbetween Stratford-upon-Avon,Leamington Spa and Tyseley aswell as those around Nuneatonand the West Coast main line.

The aim is to help facilitatevarious activities on the lines andsurrounding areas, working withthe wider communities.

Meanwhile, the WorcestershireCommunity Rail Partnership hasalso been launched. It is made upof CrossCountry, West MidlandsRail Executive, West MidlandsRailway, Worcestershire CountyCouncil, Great Western Railwayand the Cotswold PromotionGroup.

The new partnership willencourage communities, businessand tourist attractions to workwith the rail industry and localcouncils to promote rail servicesacross the county.

In both cases, CrossCountry hasprovided an initial £1,000 to helpwith set up costs and is offeringsupport to the new CRP officerswho were appointed at the endof 2019. Representatives from thetrain operating company are alsoon the steering and management

groups for both CRPs as they lookto build long-term success.

Community rail is seen as agreat way of inspiring people ofall ages and walks of life to getinvolved in making their localrailway station and surroundingareas a great and attractive placeto be. The social and economicbenefits to communities from the use of rail services are

wide-ranging with improvementsto the appeal of stations, creatingwelcoming spaces that encouragerail travel, as well as helpingreduce crime and antisocialbehaviour.

Ben Simkin, CommercialDirector at CrossCountry, said:“It’s about putting rail at theheart of communities. Ourongoing relationship with other

Community Rail Partnerships hasalready delivered new services,enhanced facilities and increasedawareness of lines and railservices across the country.

“We are excited to support theset-up of these new partnershipsand look forward to working withthem to deliver benefits for thecommunities and users of theseroutes.”

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Outside Leamington Spa railway station at the Heart of England CRP launch are, left to right, Paul Harris ofStratford-on-Avon District Council, Beth Wilson of Chiltern Railways, Jody Ball, CrossCountry StakeholderLiaison Manager, Kath Hemmings of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Paul Webster of the Associationof Community Rail Partnerships, Andrew Leo of West Midlands Rail Executive, Fay Easton of West MidlandsTrains, Phillip Clarke of Warwick District Council, Hannah Collett of Warwickshire County Council, NicolaSmall of Coventry City Council, and Councillor Alan Rhead, Warwickshire Country Council’s Environmentand Business Portfolio Holder.

At the launch of the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership are, left to right, CrossCountry Stakeholder Liaison Manager David Jones,Rail and Bus for Herefordshire Chair Will Frecknell, West Midlands Rail Executive Head of Franchise Management Tom Painter, Chair of theWorcestershire CRP William Whiting, Great Western Railway Community Manager Emma Morris, Bromsgrove and Redditch Rail UserPartnership Chairman Tony Woodward, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, ACoRP Board Member Chris Austin, West Midlands Railway Head ofStakeholder and Community Fay Easton, Worcestershire County Councillor Ken Pollock, West Midlands Rail Executive Rail ExperienceOfficer Raj Aujla, Worcestershire County Council Transport Planning Manager Andy Baker, ACoRP Operations Manager Paul Webster,Cotswold Line Promotion Group Chairman John Ellis and West Midlands Rail Executive Rail Experience Manager Andrew Leo.

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THE work of community rail enthusiasts washighlighted in a multi-venue nationwideevent… and CrossCountry took an active partin the celebrations.

The Community Rail in the Cityextravaganza saw colourful activities beingcarried out to raise awareness at far-flungstations including Glasgow, Manchester,Birmingham, London and Cambridge.

Highland Fling dancing, countrysidemock-ups celebrating the National Parks, liveperegrine falcons and volunteers dressed asMayflower pilgrims all added to theatmosphere on platforms across the country.

In total more than 40 Community RailPartnerships and tourism partners putin an appearance at 20 mainlinestations to inspire people to take daytrips, weekends and holidays by rail.

Co-ordinators the Association ofCommunity Rail Partnerships usethe annual event to promotesustainable travel for recreation onsome of the country’s most scenic lines.

Twelve CRPs which are supported byCrossCountry took part in the “In the City”event – and members of the rail operator’scommunications team leant their support.

Alex Bray, Jody Ball and Mike Daltoncriss-crossed the country to meet up with thevolunteers.

Alex helped the Tyne Valley CRP set up inGlasgow where a model of Hadrian’s Wallcreated by their tourism intern promoted thescenic line which runs along the route of theAncient Roman structure.

The Derwent Valley Line CRP raised

awareness at Nottingham and Derby stationswith their Perri the Peregrine mascot whilethe North Notts and Lincolnshire CRP and thePoacher Line CRP publicised a display aboutthe Mayflower 400 celebrations at King’sCross station in London.

Mike joined North Staffordshire CRP’scelebrations at Crewe station wherepassengers were invited to make clay figuresto join the British Ceramics Biennial’s publicart creation called Cast of Thousands.

A graffiti wall was part of Severnside’sstand and Devon and Cornwall RP had seashanty singers along with deck chairs toreflect the beaches of the south-west atBirmingham New Street station.

Colourful events at stations across UK to inspirepeople to take day-trips and holidays by rail

An18-foot replica

of the Mayflowerat London Liverpool

Street illustrated theMayflower 400

project.

A countryside scene celebrating the 70th anniversaryof National Parks was hosted by Three River and

Lymington-Brockenhurst CRPs at Waterloo station.

Perri the peregrinefalcon was on handat Nottinghamstation to launchthe activity bookcelebrating theheritage andlandscape of theDerwent Valley.

A piped Highland Fling entertainedtravellers at London’s King’s Cross

station who joined in the dancing.

Shantysingers from

Cornwall celebrated atBirmingham New Street

station. Inset, StakeholderLiaison Manager Jody Ball

showed CrossCountrysupport for Devon and

Cornwall RP.

A “family reunion” marketing campaignlaunched on Mother’s Day reached outacross the generations to encouragetravelling by CrossCountry.

At the centre of the warm-heartedcustomer experience was a giant pop-up giftbox situated on the Birmingham New Streetconcourse.

Three unsuspecting mums were brought tothe station by a family member, thinking theywere on a day out.

They were pleasantly surprised when theirson or daughter – currently living many milesaway from them – suddenly emerged fromthe seven feet-high mock present.

The campaign was based around the ideathat “the best gift you can give this Mother’sDay is you”.

Film of the reunions, which provided anexample of CrossCountry connecting peopleto the important things in life, was sharedacross social media.

Jo Seabright, Head of Marketing at

CrossCountry, said:“The campaign relatedto everyone – there are alwayspeople in our lives that we wish that wecould see more often.

“The key message on this occasion was:Make a Mother’s Day truly special and go andbe with your loved ones.”

Birmingham New Street was also thelocation for another marketing campaign tolaunch the “We Go CrossCountry” message.

A pop-upart display in the

concourse, featuring giant“Birmingham Goes CrossCountry”

lettering, was a source of fascination tocustomers who took pictures and videos,sharing them on social media.

This display launched wider marketingactivity which included Simon Bird from thesitcom The Inbetweeners featuring intelevised adverts.

Further activity for the campaign includedpromotion across Heart FM and large formatadverts on screens in city centres across theCrossCountry network.

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Surprise familyreunions arewrapped up ina pink box onMother’s Dayat stationconcourse

Hugging outside of the box.The pink box intrigues passengers at Birmingham New

Street station concourse prior to the surprise family reunions.

A mother receives a surprise from herdaughter and son via the

pink box.

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EXTENSIVE work by CrossCountry withCommunity Rail Partnerships during 2019 hasbeen praised by the umbrella organisationthat represents them nationally.

The Association of Community RailPartnerships (ACoRP) expressed approval for anumber of projects including success with theSocially Enterprising Railway Toolkit, helpingvolunteers with media training and supportfor two new CRPs which have boosted itsnationwide community engagement.

“CrossCountry has been a huge supporterof Community Rail,” said Anders Hanson,ACoRP Senior Commercial Manager. “Theyhave put in lots of work over the past year inmaking sure CRPs get the help they need.”

The train operator has a dedicated teamwho, as part of their engagement withcommunity stakeholders, administer thefunds available and work directly with ACoRPand its members.

The Socially Enterprising Railway Toolkit,initiated by the train operator and takenforward by ACoRP with CrossCountry’ssponsorship, has proved valuable to CRPsacross the network.

The toolkit provides groups looking todevelop social enterprise projects within therailway with guidance in areas such as

business planning, engaging partners,marketing and finance.

“We were really pleased to be able to putthis toolkit together for CrossCountry,” saidAnders. “We have had a lot of good feedbackfrom people who have used it to enable theirown activities.

“Tyne Valley CRP, for example, used thetoolkit in 2019 to progress their hybridelectric car project – a great way of gettingpeople from somewhere without a station to

connect to the network.” Anders welcomedCrossCountry’s provision of media training toCommunity Rail Partnerships as a means ofhelping the volunteers to spread theirmessage.

“It’s given the CRPs extra skills whileenabling them to brush up their existingknowledge,” he said. “The courses havedefinitely helped them to improve theircontact with the media.”

The Commercial Manager also praisedCrossCountry’s support for two newCommunity Rail Partnerships, Worcestershireand Heart of England.

“It’s good to see Community Rail taking offin the West Midlands,” he commented.“CrossCountry’s support has been vital inhelping to get them launched.”

Two ACoRP representatives attended theannual Community Conference organised byCrossCountry. “They found it was a reallygood way of helping to keep in touch withCrossCountry while also networking with thevarious partners and industry leaders whoalso attended,” said Anders.

He added: “We are happy to be workingwith CrossCountry. We appreciate their helpwith funding and their support for thedevelopment of new skills.”

Major support for Community Rail Partnershipsreceives praise from national organisation

ACoRP SeniorCommercial Manager

Anders Hanson atHuddersfield station.

CrossCountry has been

a huge supporter of

Community Rail. They have

put in lots of work over the

past year in making sure

CRPs get the help they need.

Anders HansonACoRP SENIOR COMMERCIAL MANAGER

“”

WE WORK AS ONE TEAM:CAMBRIDGE Centre took a leading role in the Driving

Arriva initiative to help increase fuel efficiency, safetyand driver engagement.

The Centre took part in a pilot project whichempowered drivers to shape the effectiveness of the

Driver Advisory System (DAS) by giving their feedback.The pilot was co-ordinated by Arriva Group Project

Manager Mike Madeiros, Cambridge Driver Team ManagerAndy Wells and Class 170 Fleet Engineer Robert Doberski.

Following consultation with the DAS supplier, safety featureswere consolidated, ways of reporting delays were boosted andthe system has been made evenmore environmentallyfriendly.

Andy Wells ispictured updatingthe DASnoticeboard atCambridgeCentre.

THINKING BEYOND:IMPROVED reliability and speed are being ensured by theroll-out of new tablets for drivers on the CrossCountrynetwork.

The devices, which replace previous equivalents, willalso provide the opportunity to continually improveengagement with drivers.

“As part of the project we are exploring ways ofinnovating and looking at new systems,” said SteveLongmore, Head of InternalPerformance Strategy.

“The new tabletswill assist with fault

finding and will provideinformationrelevant to eachparticular driver – tools which will improveperformancereporting andensure an increasedknowledge base.”

Driver AnthonyRimmington is pictured

with his new tablet at Leicesterstation.

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DOING the right thing, Great

customer experience, Thinking beyond

and We work as one team – these four

Arriva values embody CrossCountry’s

uniqueness and its guiding principles.

From being commended for

outstanding customer service on the

national stage to running the London

Marathon for charity, these examples

give a taste of the commitment and

dedication shown by colleagues.

DOING THE RIGHT THING:A Home Office campaign to raiseawareness of “county lines” exploitationhas been signed up to by CrossCountry.

The aim is to help tackle the issue ofgangs using dedicated mobile phone linesand grooming youngsters to export illegaldrugs across different areas of the UK.

Rail staff are being advised and trainedon how to identify young victims andraise concerns where necessary.

Employees who spot suspiciousactivity such as a child travelling a longdistance alone, receiving excessive callsand texts or being intimidated by acontrolling peer group, are being advised to contact the British Transport Police.

Pictured is Train Manager Gary Cole liaisingwith British Transport Police Constable ShaillyBadra at Birmingham New Street station.

DOING THE RIGHT THING:A Newcastle First Class Host was recognised in the “Doingthe Right Thing” category of the XC Employee Awards forgoing beyond the call of duty to help a vulnerablepassenger.

Russell Gilmore went out of his way to help thecustomer, liaising with the British Transport Policeand ensuring his safety on arrival at Newcastlestation. With the passenger’s wellbeing as hisprimary concern, he then drove him to a hostelto make sure he came to no harm.

Russell, who was given a “Best of the Best”award, said: “My name was put forwardbecause I was deemed to have goneabove and beyond for a customer onmy train. It’s been a massive thing tohave people who mean a lot to metelling me they are proud of me.”

He is pictured right receivinghis award from the thenCrossCountry ManagingDirector Andy Cooper.

WE WORK AS ONE TEAM:A Lead Into Action initiative hasbeen launched at CrossCountryto bring out the potential ofleaders within the business.

With the content of theprogramme reflecting feedbackfrom senior leaders and linemanagers, the first phase involvedfive cohorts of around 50 frontline and customer relations dutymanagers.

“The aim of the programme isto help our managers to improvetheir skills, building on those theyalready have and learning fromeach other, so that they can leadtheir teams more effectively withthe end result of ensuring happiercustomers and Great Journeys,”said Helen Bellamy, Head ofTalent and Development andLead Into Action co-ordinator.

Pictured is BirminghamCustomer Service Manager NicolaPerry, who took part in the LeadInto Action programme, withexternal Trainer Ian Kaye.

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GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:EXCEPTIONAL Kevin Kramer landed a

national accolade for his outstanding customerservice record. The Leeds Train Manager, who

began his railway career in 1976, is regularlysingled out by customers on emails and Twitter

posts for being friendly, funny and informative.Kevin, pictured with customer Clare Henry, went

on to be highly commended at the RailStaffAwards after being nominated by Interim Regional

Customer Service Manager (North) Simon Massey.Simon said: “Some people are just born to do

what they do... in my experience Kevin is just sucha person. Delivering the sort of memorable service

that stands out as exceptional is something he hasbeen able to do day after day, year after year.”

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RAIL engineers of the future were given ahuge boost to their learning when they wereable to glean first-hand experience fromCrossCountry experts at a week-longindustry event.

The rail operating company joined anumber of transport sector, construction andcivil engineering partners to take part in railweek at Newcastle Rail Academy.

The groundbreaking facility hosted apacked programme of activities during theannual event which was held in October.

Presentations were made byrepresentatives from several CrossCountryteams including pricing, revenue, commercialand communications specialists.

The £5 million academy, which is part ofNewcastle College and is based inGateshead, is sponsored by CrossCountryand was set up to help pave the way to acareer in the rail industry.

Its unique training programmes are aimedat helping the rail sector meet its skillsshortages.

It contains a real working environment

with industry standard equipment andresources, including hands-on simulationareas, where students can learn to carry outmaintenance work or respond to railincidents.

Steven Shiel, Head of Rail and CivilEngineering at Newcastle College at the timeof the event, said: “We have had a week ofhands-on activities and tasks that inspiredthe students. This sort of event enables themto look to the future with confidence.

“As ever, were are so grateful to partnerssuch as CrossCountry, Network Rail and TyneValley Community Rail Partnership whohelped make the week a huge success anddelivered expert presentations.

“Their efforts really do help to inspireyoung people to consider a future inengineering and fill the skills shortage gap inthe rail sector.”

CrossCountry's long association with thecollege includes funding an IT suite on site. Itwas also the company's third year in a rowtaking part in the Rail Week events.

Students who attend the Academy and

took part in the industry event were quick tohighlight how they benefitted them.

Tia Jones, from Gateshead, is four yearsinto her education at the Academy. The19-year-old said: “I got a well-roundedinsight into all aspects of the rail industryand civil engineering.

“I wanted to go into engineering and myteacher at the time suggested I should takea look at Newcastle College and what theycould offer. The people are great and it’s verydifferent to any learning environment I’vebeen used to in the past. In terms of gainingindustry experience it’s unique.”

Fellow student Tait McKenna, 19, fromRyton, already has one eye on amanagement role within the rail industry.

He said: “I came to a Newcastle Collegeopen evening four years ago to see what Icould study. Joining the Academy turned outto be the best decision I could have made.

“Pretty quickly we were doing practicalstuff and that’s what I love. I’d like tobecome an engineering supervisor and moveinto a management role in the long term.”

CrossCountry experts deliver presentations toengineers of the future during Industry Week

Event launch for Transportand Infrastructure Day withGateshead Deputy MayorCouncillor Dot Burnett,Gateshead MP Ian Mearnsand Middlesbrough MP AndyMcDonald. Activities weresupported by demonstrationsfrom SEP Rail, Aquarius andNetwork Rail’s High OutputBallast Cleaner (HOBC).

Representatives from Tyneand Wear passenger transportexecutive Nexus werekeynote speakers of the dayand activities focused aroundtalks from different areas ofthe company. It also focusedon a level crossing crashre-enactment, supported byNetwork Rail and Tyne andWear Fire and Rescue.

Work experience activitieswith Balfour Beatty, Uniteand LNER.

Keynote talks from variousdepartments within NetworkRail. Alex Bray ofCrossCountry attended, alongwith colleagues, to make apresentation and supportwith activities. Students alsoheard from the Korec Groupand the National Associationof Women in Construction.

This day focused on mentalhealth and wellbeing.Students heard from JasonAnkers MBE, the Institution ofCivil Engineers and met withthe college’s Pastoral Team to

discuss available support.

FRIDAY:

THURSDAY:

WEDNESDAY:

TUESDAY:

MONDAY:

DAY BY DAYEVENTS

Degree students TaitMcKenna and Tia Jonespictured at the RailAcademy duringIndustry Week.

Guidedby industry

experts, studentswere introduced to a variety of tasks

relating to railwayinfrastructure during

Industry Week.

Joining the Academy turned

out to be the best decision I

could have made.

“”

The people are great and

it’s very different to any

learning environment I’ve

been used to in the past. In

terms of gaining industry

experience it’s unique.

Tia Jones DEGREE STUDENT

“”

Tait McKenna DEGREE STUDENT

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SEVEN students from CrossCountry’sPlacement Scheme joined railway enthusiastsand volunteers to help spruce up Alsagerstation. The students worked with the NorthStaffordshire Community Rail Partnershipduring a day of painting and planting at theSouth Cheshire station.

During the morning, the studentstransformed the waiting shelter on the Stoke-on-Trent-bound platform with a freshcoat of paint and in the afternoon theypainted rocks bordering the platform flowerbeds to add extra colour to enhance the floraldisplays.

The Community Action Day took place inMay and formed part of the popular PlacementScheme, which sees students from universitiesand colleges around the country work withCrossCountry for 12-month periods.

During that time they learn a range ofpractical and analytical skills and many go onto rejoin the company’s Graduate Schemeonce they have completed their degrees.

North Staffordshire Community RailPartnership Officer Claire Sandys said: “It wasgreat to see so many people turning out tohelp at the Alsager Station Community ActionDay.

“Experienced station adopters were joinedby new volunteers, a representative fromCheshire East Connecting Communities andseven work placement students fromCrossCountry. Their help was very muchappreciated.”

Jade Myatt, one of the students who tookpart, added: “I really enjoyed being part of theAlsager station upkeep and it was great towork with such kind, friendly people in theprocess.

“Overall it was a great addition to my

placement year at CrossCountry.”CrossCountry’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager

Alex Bray, who helped organise the students’involvement, said: “We were delighted to beable to lend such practical support.

“The day of volunteering helped improve thestation for the benefit of passengers and gaveour students a great insight into the workCrossCountry do to support Community RailPartnerships across our routes.”

Placement students join railway enthusiasts andvolunteers for action day to spruce up a station

Alsager Station Adopter JennyRead, left, and placementstudent Suman May tend toflower beds at the station.Jenny and Suman are alsofeatured on the front cover.

Volunteer JanRatcliffe andplacement studentEve Carpenterweeding andpruning at thestation.

Placementstudent

Jackir Ahmed andCommunity Rail

Partnership OfficerClaire Sandys onpainting duties atAlsager station.

THE annual Community Conferenceheld by CrossCountry celebrated threeyears of successful partnership workingwhile looking forward to morecollaboration in the future.

The event was a showcase for thecommunity involvementwhich since 2016 hasseen the railoperatorprovide directfunding underthe franchise ofmore than£900,000 forCommunity Railstakeholders.

The financialsupport has boostedtheir aims ofenhancing people’sexperience of using therailway while furtheringthe strategic goals ofACoRP and theDepartment for Transport.

Key milestones over the years atCrossCountry also includethe introduction of the XCCommunity Hub website,the setting up of aCustomer Research Paneland work with the UKScouts Association to helpcub scouts achieve a PersonalSafety Badge.

Guest speakers at theConference described the waysin which they had benefitedfrom using the SociallyEnterprising Toolkit, developedby CrossCountry with ACoRP andthe Small Firms EnterpriseDevelopment Initiative.

The toolkit includes casestudies of business successstories and information onhow to get started andmake a venture a success.

The Conference, held atThe Studios in Birmingham,was opened by Richard Gibson,Head of Communications atCrossCountry.

Members of the XC StakeholderLiaison team described initiatives theyhad worked on. Then it was over torepresentatives from variousCommunity Rail Partnerships whooutlined the roll-out of projects whichbenefit from CrossCountry support.

The conferenceproved to be a usefulforum for the exchangeof ideas, with the CRPs

and rail user groupsindicating various ways

in which they could benefitfrom any future support.

Paul Webster, Operations Managerat ACoRP, said: “It was good to attendthe conference to show our support andappreciation for CrossCountry’sinvolvement in community rail,” he said.

“We get very positive feedback abouttheir investment through theirCommunity Engagement Fund.”

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Annual Community Conference highlights three years ofsuccessful partnership working

There was a strong theme of

celebrating what we have

achieved but we also looked

forward to a continuing

relationship with our

stakeholder colleagues.

Jody BallSTAKEHOLDER LIAISON MANAGER

“”Stakeholder

Liaison ManagerJody Ball, who gave apresentation at the

Community Conference,is pictured with a copy

of the SociallyEnterprising Toolkit

booklet.

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A campaign by a CrossCountry employeeto raise awareness of knife crime and theneed for Bleed Control Kits to be madeavailable for public use has had anationwide impact.

Safety Communications Manager KerrySheehan raised funds under thecompany’s Great Causes scheme to helpthe Daniel Baird Foundation reach atarget of £10,000 to launch a charitableorganisation so that packs can bepresented to businesses, public buildingsand taxi cabs.

The Foundation was established after26-year-old Daniel, Kerry’s brother, diedin hospital of catastrophic bleeding as aresult of being stabbed outside the ForgeTavern in Digbeth, Birmingham followinga night out with friends.

A pilot scheme in Birmingham,launched by the Community SafetyPartnership, has enabled 50 Bleed ControlKits to be placed at various locations inthe city centre. City of London Policehave rolled out 300 kits and WestMidlands Police are planning to distributethem widely in the region.

AN innovative partnership with railwaychaplains is reaching out to the communityto raise awareness of mental health issues.

Railway Mission Chaplains in Scotland areworking with CrossCountry’s EdinburghCentre to signpost passengers to the helpthat is available for anyone they may knowwho has problems.

An on-train “conversation cafe” wassupported in partnership with Network Railand the Samaritans to mark World SuicidePrevention Day.

Paul Gardiner, Head of the EdinburghService Centre, took part in one of theonboard sessions which the chaplains havebeen running for some time.

The aim was to raise awareness amongpassengers of the issue of suicide incommunities and to encourage them to lookout for signs of depression or mental illnessin their friends and relatives.

“West of Scotland Chaplain GrahamWhitehead and I travelled on the Edinburgh-

Newcastle service and helped distributearound 200 sets of information cards as wellas around 60 bottles of water and biscuitsdonated by CrossCountry,” said Paul.

“Suicide prevention is a massive issue forus in the railway industry and we are glad tobe working with the chaplain and his team toshow people there is support out there.

“The conversation cafe was really

successful and we really engaged with ourcustomers on the day.”

Graham said: “We were delighted to beable to work with CrossCountry for the firsttime. Chatting to passengers on the trainreally helps us build a relationship – wesignpost them towards help that is availableand give out contact details for NHSBreathing Space and Samaritans.”

Working withchaplains tofurther raisemental healthawareness

GREAT CAUSES SCHEME HELPS FUND BLEED KITS

Paul Gardiner with a Samaritans

poster at EdinburghWaverley station.

Safety CommunicationsManager Kerry Sheehanwith a Bleed Control Kit.

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TENS of thousands of extra rail commutersand tourists are enjoying a cuppa anddiscovering more about their surroundingsthanks to the opening of a new railway cafein a historic setting.

Money from CrossCountry's CommunityEngagement Fund provided to the DerwentValley Line Community Rail Partnership hashelped pave the way for the restoration of theGrade II listed Whistlestop building at MatlockBath station.

The building was closed for 11 years butfinally opened its doors in the Spring as avibrant community and commuter cafe. Italso houses an informative visitor centre,which is used by rail customers, tourists andresidents alike.

CrossCountry contributed £16,250 towardsthe project which was used to improve accessand provide disabled toilet facilities helpingeveryone enjoy the building.

The project was delivered in partnershipwith Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, which has along term lease on the building. Network Rail,the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Associationof Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) werealso chief funders.

Derwent Valley Line Community RailPartnership Project Officer Alistair Morleysaid: “Our aim was to revitalise the Grade IIlisted building to provide a much-needed yearround gateway for visitors to the town.

“It is a space for the public to enjoy, wherevolunteers and groups of all ages can learnnew skills and celebrate the heritage of the

building, the railway and the surroundingarea.”● In addition, CrossCountry funding hasalso helped to serve up another successfultrain station cafe project.

A Spotter Tea is a community facility whichis brewing up business at Kidsgrove station.Based in the booking hall it is open early tomid-mornings on Mondays to Saturdays andserves up drinks and snacks to passengers.

Funding has been provided to the NorthStaffordshire Community Rail Partnership tomake the cafe a permanent fixture after itproved so popular during a trial period.

Commutersand touristsenjoy cuppa inhistoric setting

The Whistlestop Cafe interior in theelegantly restored Grade II listed building.

A Spotter Tea owner Kath

Keeling serves a drink to passenger NatalieDickson. The cafe is now a permanent

fixture at Kidsgrovestation.

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Founders and Curators of the Dwell Time Project Vanessa Haley, left, and Alice Bradshaw at Huddersfield Stationwith the Dwell time magazine and ACoRP awards trophy for the Best Renewable and Smaller Project category.

THREE inspiring projects supported byCrossCountry scooped top awards at ACoRP’s15th national Community Rail Awards held atthe International Centre in Telford. PenistoneLine Partnership, Leeds-MorecambeCommunity Rail Partnership and the Friendsof Rose Hill Station all received accolades atthe event attended by 450 community railvolunteers, partnerships, rail industry leadersand Government representatives.

Penistone Line Partnership (PLP), based onthe line between Huddersfield and Sheffield,were praised for their Dwell Time projectfeaturing an arts publication of the samename which raises awareness about mentalhealth issues.

The three founders of Dwell Time joinedwith the PLP to put out an international opencall for art, poetry and writing which reflectson mental wellbeing.

They also launched an art trail at stationsalong the line while producing art in localworkshops run by the curating team with anemphasis on enabling people to share theirstories creatively.

Dwell Time (signifying a time for reflection,named after the time when a train comes torest at a station or signal), received the awardin the Best Renewable and Smaller Projectcategory.

The Leeds-Morecambe CRP (the BenthamLine) were acclaimed in the InfluencingPositive Change category for their work increating Britain’s first-ever dementia-friendlyroute.

The project group, which includedDementia Friendly Keighley and theAlzheimer’s Society, aims to raise awarenessof dementia with staff, volunteers andpassengers, support the journeys of thoseliving with dementia and create dementia-friendly environments.

Partnership staff and volunteers becameDementia Friends Champions to deliverone-hour training sessions across theNorthern network.

Stations have been made dementia-friendlywith simplified signage, dementia-friendlywalks have been created at four stations anda Northern Class 150 train has beennamed “Bentham Line- A DementiaFriendly Railway” as a rovingambassador.

The Friends of Rose Hill Stationin Marple near Stockport,members of the South EastManchester CommunityRail Partnership,topped theCommunity ArtSchemes –Permanentcategoryfor their

Intergenerational Community Arts Project.Realising it was difficult for the olderpopulation to connect with the youngergeneration they devised an art project toboth increase community cohesion andimprove the station environment.

Artist Tracy McGuinness-Kelly of local artsgroup Art Stop worked with children to createpart of the artwork which portrayed life inMarple through the years. A mural at Rose Hillstation included the contribution of morethan 300 people of all ages and abilities manyof whom also took part in themed workshops.

Three inspiring projects receive accolades andrecognition at national community awards

24

Artist Tracy McGuinness-Kelly and Stuart Patrick, Friends of Rose Hill Station Secretary, withthe ACoRP trophy for the Community Art Schemes – Permanent category. They are pictured

at the station with the mural in the background. Below, a section of the artwork on the mural.

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The winners with theirtrophies and certificatesat the awards ceremony.

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PASSENGERS on CrossCountry trains inHampshire were serenaded on their journeycourtesy of a unique musical initiative by theLymington and Brockenhurst Community RailPartnership.

Songs and music by bands such as the SouthWight Jazz Club and the Bunker Girls rang out inthe carriages as part of the initiative called Musicon the Move which took place through thesummer.

The musical project saw the musicians andsingers travelling between the Isle of Wight andWinchester on Wightlink Ferry, SouthWesternRailway and CrossCountry services.

Rail Development Officer for the CRP BobbyLock said: “For the last five years we have hadmusic at stations but this year we wanted to dosomething a little different.

“Music on the Move brings an infectious goodmood to everyone travelling – whether to work orfor leisure. We are thrilled that CrossCountry,again, have supported our initiative.”

Music on moveis onboard hit

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CrossCountry’s support for Community Rail Partnerships around the country is helping themto bring real benefits to the places where they operate – as well as passengers. Here are someexamples of the good work the CRPs and their teams of volunteers have been doing in 2019.

TO improve awareness and use of the Bishop Linefrom Darlington to Bishop Auckland an inspirationalstory project has been delivered enabling local voicesto tell the history of the route to passengers.

The route, part of the Stockton to DarlingtonRailway which was the world’s first passenger line

to use steam locomotives, has been brought to lifewith an onboard audio experience.

The Our Line project consists of fondmemories of passengers and local peopleresearched by creative company HannahBruce & Co and delivered by the Bishop LineCommunity Rail Partnership. It demonstrateshow the railway has changed people’s livesover the years.

Passengers can don headphones to listento the performance which is free with avalid train ticket. It is neatly timed to starton Darlington station, accompanypassengers onto the train and finish as theirtrain pulls into Bishop Auckland at the end of

the line.Core annual community rail funding to the

Bishop Line CRP from CrossCountry supportedthe development of the projectHannah Bruce, of Hannah Bruce & Co, said:

“People along the Bishop Line have wonderfulstories to tell about rail past and present. Through

Our Line passengers can meet past generations anduse the landscape viewed from the train window as afilmic location for their stories.”

A Cornish granite rockery atPenmere station in Falmouthis catching the eye ofpassengers. The nature-friendly structure, whichprovides a welcoming habitatfor pollinating insects, wasinstalled in the Autumn.

Construction and totalfunding costs were met bythe Community RailDevelopment Fund, throughthe Association of CommunityRail Partnerships (ACoRP) andfacilitated by Devon andCornwall Rail Partnership,

which issupported byCrossCountry.

Work was carried out by asmall group of voluntarygardening and railwayenthusiasts who have beencustodians of the stationsince 1993.

Support from ACoRP andDevon and Cornwall RailPartnership, with funding forvarious projects over the yearsprovided by them, haveresulted in many initiativesand ideas coming to fruition.

REFURBISHED and additional cycle racking has been installed atRomsey station in Hampshire as part of a joint investmentbetween Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership and railoperators.

The project is in response to greater demands from cyclists forenhanced facilities at the station. All the racks are under shelterand covered by CCTV providing another security boost for users.

Extra funding is being looked at which will provide even moreracks or hoops at stations looked after by the CRP.

In addition, Three Rivers has produced a new Inn Line guidewhich provides readers with a comprehensive list of pubs andinns within easy walking distance of stations covered by the CRP.

Peace gardenon platform

Better and extra cycle racksin response to demands

Project delivers history audio to passengers

Members of the South Wight Jazz Club andthe Bunker Girls entertain passengers onboard the Brockenhurst to Winchester service.

Passengers enjoy the audio history as theytravel on the Bishop Line.

Friends of Greenbank Station Volunteers Graham Hallett,left, and Mark Goulborn work in the Peace and Reflection Garden.

Cycle racks atRomsey station.

GREEN-FINGERED volunteers who transformeda platform garden at Greenbank railwaystation in Cheshire have received civic praise.

A trio of station enthusiasts, Mark Goulborn,Nigel Nutt and Graham Hallet visit the stationevery Monday where they carry out clean-upwork and maintain the garden on the Chester-bound platform.

Working with the Mid CheshireCommunity Rail Partnership, the group –known as the Friends of Greenbank Station– have also produced a mural dedicated tolives lost in the First World War.

The latest project has seen themdevelop a Peace and Reflection gardenat the station which honours all thosewho lost their lives in war and conflict.

Their work has been praised by theNorthwich Mayor Councillor Kevin Rimmerwho visited the venue to thank them in personfor their “tireless work”.

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The graniterockery at

Penmere stationin Falmouth.

Station rockery providesan ideal insect habitat

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RAIL safety for children using a busystation has been highlighted thanksto a CrossCountry-funded project.

Honley on the Huddersfield-Sheffield line had been the subject ofsafety concerns due to the increasein numbers of youngsters using itssingle platform to take the train.

The Penistone Line Partnership(PLP) worked with Year 6 youngstersand an arts group to raise awarenessof the importance of rail safety.

Rowena Chantler, PLP CommunityRail Officer, visited South CroslandJunior School and Brockholes Juniorand Infant School whose pupils feedinto Honley High School, a mainuser of Honley station.

She delivered rail safety lessonsand information about how to usethe train, focusing mainly on how tobuy a ticket.

As part of the initiative an artinstallation was created with thehelp of the Children’s Art School,who work in education to supportthe development of creative skillsand to enrich the curriculum throughcreative working.

Chloe Williams from the Art

School visited the two schools andhelped the pupils create continuousline drawings so that they couldmake original portraits of theirclassmates.

Using a projector the drawingswere enlarged and the childrenapplied their knowledge of colourtheory to depict people waiting for the train.

The artwork was then installed atHonley (and some at Brockholes), toencourage the pupils to takeownership of the station.

It is hoped that their involvementwill help to reduce the occasionalvandalism which has occurred atHonley.

“It’s fantastic to see the childrenengaging and wanting to make apositive impact on the station theyregularly use,” said Rowena.

“When travelling on the line youwon’t fail to notice the bright andcolourful artwork, all thanks toCrossCountry.”

In a second phase of the artproject, the portraits are beingtransferred to metallic surfaces toincrease their durability.

Classroom talks and art project at busy stationhelp to raise rail safety awareness for children

Penistone Line PartnershipOfficer Supporter Sarah Wellswith the schoolchildren’s art

work at Honley station. Below,two of the pupils’ paintings.

A pledge has been made by CrossCountry to work evenmore closely with the Community Rail Partnerships itsupports to get the most out of a groundbreakinginteractive app.

Eye-catching posters embedded with AugmentedReality (AR) triggers have been installed at dozens ofstations – on platforms, in waiting rooms and bookingoffices.

When viewed through a smart device using the XCCommunity Hub App they instantly unlock new 3Dinteractive, digital content relating to the CRPs,including videos showcasing their work.

The versatile app can also be used to book ticketsonline, check timetables and visit relevant websites,such ACoRP, Scenic Rail Britain and other partners. Italso contains information on staying safe whiletravelling.

Augmented Reality works by layering digitalinformation over the real world to provide extra orenhanced detail. In the case of the XC Community HubApp it recognises a unique visual trigger – such as aphoto – that appears on the posters and this launches

content relevant to the local CRP on the users phone or tablet.

Stakeholder Liaison Manager Alex Bray said:“A number of unique posters were producedfor each of the CRPs we support and thesewere installed at prominent locations onstations around the network during the lastcouple of years.

“We are now looking at ways to encouragemore users to take advantage of the app byworking with CRP officers and assisting them inpromoting and encouraging its use.”

Nick Farthing, Three Rivers CRP Officer, said: “The XCCommunity Hub AR app has helped us get our messageacross to a wider audience and embraces the verylatest technology in order to do that instantaneously.Customers like the fact they can learn more about thework we do while also having the opportunity to booktickets and plan journeys all at the same time.”

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Passenger Simon Matthewsscans an Augmented Realitytrigger on a poster at Longportstation to stream a video onto his mobile about the workof the North StaffordshireCommunity Rail Partnership.

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Plans to extend the useof the XC CommunityHub AugmentedReality app

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GREAT strides are being taken inCrossCountry’s environmental journey toDestination Green. The goal being pursued byArriva businesses across Europe sets out fourclear aims – and the company has movedfrom “performer” to “leader” status thanks toits ongoing initiatives.

Employees are on board to help reduce theamount of waste being sent to landfill by 80per cent, reduce the amount of water andenergy usage by 10 per cent each and reducefuel usage by six per cent – all by 2021.

One of CrossCountry’s main operationalhubs, the Lampblock at Birmingham NewStreet station, has received a green buildingaward.

The accolade from the Building ResearchEstablishment (BRE) recognises a wealth ofsustainable features including a solar thermalsystem to generate hot water, reducingcarbon dioxide emissions.

Waste segregation takes place at stafflocations across the network, with plastic,glass, batteries and IT equipment all beingsent for recycling.

At Cannon House, the headquartersbuilding in Birmingham, three collectionpoints have been set up for used crisp packetswhich are sent for recycling into plastic

benches, pots or watering cans.CrossCountry uniforms sent for recycling

end up as car seats!Another recycling scheme disposes of used

pens while cardboard is collected for recyclingat Service Centres across the network as partof the ongoing waste reduction initiatives.

All of the CrossCountry locations have afolder, a notice board and access to theintranet to provide staff with informationabout the Destination Green programme,while an online learning module is availableto staff at Cannon House.

The Destination Green process measureswaste reduction progress in the areas ofEngagement, Water, Waste, Reporting,Governance, Environmental ManagementSystem, Modal Shift, Energy, Pollution andSupply Chain.

“In the last few years we have moved froma performer status to a leader status – whichis all thanks to improvement across thebusiness,” said Darshika Patel, CrossCountry’sEnvironmental and Sustainability Manager.

Environmental risk is also managed throughthe implementation of Environmental andEnergy Management Systems.

CrossCountry’s over-arching Environmentaland Energy Policy details processes linked to

waste management, environmental incidentreporting and legal compliance obligations.

It includes compliancewith internationalstandards ISO50001:2011 andISO 14001:2015.

Employees are right on board to help powercompany’s journey towards

Driver Julian Stronguses the recyclingboxes located atCambridge depot.

Team Organisers Michelle Sheehy, left, and Heather Davis outsidethe Lampblock – a CrossCountry operational hub at Birmingham

New Street – which has received an accolade from the BuildingResearch Establishment for its wealth of sustainable features.

Change and Delivery

Manager AmritpalBrom with some

used pens forrecycling.

Pay and Rostering

Specialist YvonneHayden with a

Destination Green poster.

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Team Organiser JaneHyndman at the recycling

station in Reading Centre.

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JOINED-UP rail and bus travel has beenfacilitated by CrossCountry in two of themost scenic areas of the country.

New bus services linking Okehampton’sSummer Sunday train service to Exeter withthe Tamar Valley Line give customers theprospect of making a circular trip roundDevon.

Funded by CrossCountry, the two-way buslink southwards from Okehampton toGunnislake, the northern terminus of the linealong the Tamar, has been organised by theDevon and Cornwall Rail Partnership.

Two round trips each Sunday allowtravellers to take a day trip by publictransport to Dartmoor destinations fromOkehampton, while Plymouth people can dothe same via Gunnislake.

For those wanting to make a grand circulartrip, the journey goes one way via Dartmoorand the other via the main line throughDawlish with a spectacular sea view.

“Local people were keen to see the bus linkrestored,” said Richard Burningham, RailPartnership Manager.

“We worked with Devon County Counciland submitted a Community EngagementFund bid to CrossCountry to pay for the busand marketing.

“A total of 398 passengers travelled in the

firstyear –it’s allsystems gofor continuingthe bus next year.”

MeanwhileCrossCountry customersseeking to explore the South Downsduring the summer benefited from the returnof the South Downs Rambler bus service.

The service runs from Winchester stationand Petersfield station with funding fromCrossCountry and the Three RiversCommunity Rail Partnership. The route offerspicturesque views of the South Downscountryside and rural Hampshire while givingaccess to numerous quaint villages andcountry pubs.

Three Rivers CRP Chairman Nick Farthingsaid: “We have been absolutely delighted withthe buses this year with a record number of

passengerscarried, thanks tothe funding fromCrossCountry.

“Even though the buses only run on aSunday throughout the summer, including theAugust Bank Holiday Monday, we carried 491passengers in 2019 – a massive 272 per centincrease on the previous year.

“We look forward to working further withCrossCountry next year as we look at ways tocontinue the service beyond the initial threeyears.”

New bus servicesoffer vital linkswith railways –and spectacularscenic trips

TheSouth Downs

Rambler bus 2019season is launched at

Petersfield railway stationwith, left to right, keen

walker Samantha Barnes-Evans, bus driver Lukasz

Nitenberg, and RailOfficer Mark

Miller.

Left, passengers on the South Downs Ramblerand below the Okehampton bus link service.

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A group of enthusiastic volunteers led byan award-winning gardener have createdan environmentally-friendly pergola atUttoxeter station. Built with the help offunding from CrossCountry, it includesseating and provides an improved shelterfor passengers waiting for taxis andbuses.

The pergola has been planted withclimbing shrubs to create cover andhabitats for insects and birds. The teamwho built it are local volunteers who allhave a passion for the East Staffordshirestation.

They were led by Mick Eyre, who hasbeen Environment MaintenanceManager for Stoke-on-Trent City Councilfor 31 years and is also a 2007 GoldAward winner at the Royal HorticulturalSociety show at Tatton Park.

The project was co-ordinated byNorth Staffordshire Community RailPartnership, who work to promote anddevelop the Crewe-Stoke-Derby railroute and are supported byCrossCountry. Other funding and

support for the pergola project camefrom East Midlands Railway.

In addition to the plants, thestructure is decorated withimaginative paintings of “mini-beasts” created by pupils fromSt Mary's First CE (A) School inUttoxeter

Mick Eyre said: “It hasbeen a real pleasure to workwith the other volunteersand with otherorganisations and theirstaff on this project and I'dlike to thank organisationslike CrossCountry and EastMidlands Railway who haveprovided funding to helpmake this possible.

“The pergola will look lovelywhen the plants have grown upand covered it, providing coverfor passengers when they’rewaiting for taxis and buses. I’veenjoyed using my skills to complete thismuch needed shelter for the station.”

Enthusiastic volunteers create attractive stationpergola to benefit passengers, insects and birds

Award-winning gardener and

station adopter Mick Eyre by the

pergola at Uttoxeter station.

Mick shows one of the “mini-beasts” paintings which have

been created by pupils at St Mary’s First School.

The paintings depict some of the insects

which will inhabit the

pergola.

To find out more visit:

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/xc-community-hubor contact:

communications@crosscountrytrains.co.uk

SINCE 2016 we have been using the fundingavailable to us through our FranchiseAgreement with the Department forTransport to financially support and activelywork with our Community Rail Partners.

This support has come through both adirect contribution to their operating costs,and in our administering a trust for partnersto bid for funding for project-basedundertakings to make a difference in theircommunity. Many of the achievements thiswork delivered have been showcased in thereport you have just read and builds on otherprojects during the previous two years.

Community Rail Partnerships that havebenefited from the funding are listed below.

The Bishop Line

Bentham Line

Crewe to Manchester

South East Manchester

Derwent Valley Line

High Peak and Hope Valley

Devon & Cornwall

Heart of Wessex

Hereward

Mid Cheshire

Poacher Line

Severnside

Tyne Valley

North Staffordshire

Lymington to Brockenhurst

Three Rivers

Penistone Line

CCoommmmuunniittyy RRaaiill PPaarrttnneerrsshhiipp FFuunnddiinngg

CCRRPP ffuunnddiinngg 22001177 22001188 22001199

Grant funding available 248,461.46 170,000 91,538.44

Direct funding to each CRP 14,615.38 10,000 10,000

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Recurring themes of people and service reflectthe spirit of doing our best for communities

I do hope you have enjoyed reading thisCommunity Impact Report and learningmore about the many projects our peopleand our partners were involved with during2019, and the role these have played insupporting our nation’s society.

Throughout this report I hope younoticed the recurring themes of peopleand service. These are two of the things Ihave been focussing on since joiningCrossCountry last Spring. I truly believe anempowered and inspired team will alwaysdo their best for our customers andcommunities, and we have some of thebest examples of these people atCrossCountry.

The Community Rail movement cantrace its roots back almost 30 years and

there’s hardly a train operator today thatdoesn’t have an involvement with apartnership or local group. At CrossCountrywe have seventeen partnerships across ournetwork, and you’ll have read just howinvolved we’ve become in helping themmake a difference.

One of the most telling examples waswhen my team travelled to many of theirCommunity Rail in the City events to seehow these were being showcased atstations across Britain, sometimes evengetting involved in many of the hands-onactivities. Their successes have shown thevalue these partnerships bring, so I wasespecially proud this year when we helpedestablish two new partnerships in theMidlands.

But the work we do is much more thanthat involving CRPs, it’s about looking tohelp all the communities we touch. In theNorth East we’re proud of our continuinginvolvement with Newcastle Rail Academy.

Here the engineers and railway operatorsof the future are being provided the toolsand skills to start their careers, and myteams have been continuing to supporttheir ‘rail week’ events so the students canlearn more about our industry.

And our involvement with theSamaritans and others to promote mentalhealth and wellbeing, or helping our peopleraise funds for worthy causes such ascancer research.

And one very personal to us atCrossCountry is the work of our very ownKerry Sheehan, who has done so much toraise money to have Bleed Kits available inpublic locations in honour of her brother,who was fatally stabbed almost three years ago.

If you’d like to know more about thework my teams do then please get intouch. And if you have any thoughts aboutwhat more we could do in ourcommunities them please let me know.

By CROSSCOUNTRY MANAGING DIRECTOR

T O M J O Y N E R

SCAN PHOTO

TO SEE VIDEO

ENHANCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:Colleagues at Reading Centre have attended a SignLanguage course in order to better communicatewith customers with impaired hearing. Here, RetailService Manager Donna Weir demonstrates hersigning skills to passenger Charisma Underhill.