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Our Partnership

Community Rail Lines

There are three Kent Community Rail Lines in our partnership. The Swale Rail Line where the partnership began in 2003, adding the Medway Valley Line in 2005 and Kent Downs Line in 2020. All three lines are operated by Southeastern. The Kent Community Rail Partnership has been hosted by Sustrans since April 2014. Both Kent County Council and Medway Council provide valuable support.

DfT and the Four Pillars of Community Rail

The Kent Community Rail Partnership exists to bring together widely varied partners, to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the communities served by rural and secondary rail services. This is achieved by improving community links with rail operators and initiating projects that make rail services more attractive to residents and visitors alike. Generally speaking community rail partnerships exist on lines unlikely to attract major investment from the rail industry, but the success of the partnerships often leads to greater resources being deployed by the rail companies and others.

 

Kent Community Rail Partnership is Department for Transport accredited, ensuring that it operates to high standards of governance and financial propriety; adopts a collaborative approach; is worthy of trust by others; and is considered by Government to be a good representative of the local community. The DfT mandates us to provide a voice for the community; promote sustainable and healthy travel; bring communities together, supporting diversity and inclusion; and to support social and economic development.

Our Structure

Chris Fribbins is the Chairman of our Partnership.  He has been a member of the Kent Community Rail Partnership since it was formed. He was appointed Chair in April 2019, having been Vice Chair prior to this. Chris also represented the Rail Passenger Committee, managing Swale Rail before the adoption of the Medway Valley Line. Chris is also an active member of the RailFuture group.

Chris leads our Steering group, who are made up from representatives of the rail industry, county, borough and parish councillors and members of the communities served by our lines.

Jonathan Fryer receives his volunteer certificate and the Volunteer of the Year shield from Steve White.
Volunteer Recognition

Chair of the Kent Community Rail Partnership:

Chris Fribbins

 

Vice Chair of the Kent Community Rail Partnership:

Tom Shelley

 

The Medway Valley Line which runs between Tonbridge and Strood via Maidstone West.

Its 14 stations are:
Strood, Halling, Cuxton, Snodland, New Hythe, Aylesford, Maidstone Barracks, Maidstone West. East Farleigh, Wateringbury, Yalding, Beltring, Paddock Wood, and Tonbridge.

Swale Rail is the Sittingbourne to Sheerness branch line.

Its 5 stations are:

Sheerness on Sea, Queenborough, Swale, Kemsley, and Sittingbourne.

kentdownsline logo highrestrans

Kent Downs Line

The Kent Downs Line runs form Ashford International to Otford. This line joins up with two other Community Rail Partnerships, Southeast CRP at Ashford with the Marshlink Line and The Darenth Valley CRP at Otford.

Its 12 stations are:

Ashford, Charing, Lenham, Harrietsham, Hollingbourne, Bearsted, Maidstone East, Barming, East Malling, West Malling, Borough Green and Wrotham, and Kemsing.

Chair of the Medway Valley Line:

James Willis

Vice Chair of the Medway Valley Line:

Paul Harper

Chair of the Swale Rail Line:

Linda Brinklow

Vice Chair of the Swale Rail Line:

Jonathan Fryer

Chair of the Kent Downs Line:

James Lehane

Vice Chair of the Kent Downs Line:

Clive English

Why not take a closer look at what we have been doing by viewing our latest newsletter.

Kent CRP would like to thank all our volunteers, station adopters and members who help us throughout the year. Our aim is to work alongside our partners and engage our communities in projects and events near to our stations. From time to time we receive recognition for some of the projects and events that we take part in. These are usually celebrated at the Community Rail Awards. Without our community support and partners we work with, this wouldn’t be possible.

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