ABOUT EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP
Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) were first established in England in the 1990s as a formal mechanism to reinvigorate local and rural railways. CRP status provides a framework for community involvement in strategic planning, development and operation of a specific railway line.
Since 2014, the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership has been pulling together a wide range of local organisations with an interest in communities and sustainable transport, to fix the link between railway stations, town centres and the surrounding areas, and realise an integrated transport network accessible to all. We work with four train operators (ScotRail, LNER, TransPennine Express, and Cross Country), Transport Scotland, East Lothian Council, the Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran), local businesses and community groups towards the following aims:
ABOUT THE VACANCY
Harry Barker has been chairing East Lothian CRP since its inception in 2014 and is now preparing to pass on the reins of a well-established and respected organisation. In addition the time is right to expand the Board and also appoint a vice chair. Examples of projects completed to date include:
Projects have always been dependent on external funding which to date has not proved problematical, and, as such, the incoming Chair will have the flexibility to pursue their own agenda. The CRP is financially sound and new ways of operating are being explored by The Community Rail Network and the new Chair will be well placed to provide input to these.
East Lothian CRP has no paid staff, and projects are led by volunteers under direction from the Board, and therefore the amount of work involved can vary but can be expected to be around 10 hours per month for the Chair.
DUTIES OF THE CHAIR
Responsibilities include:
BENEFITS
You will receive a ‘staff’ rail pass from ScotRail permitting free rail travel throughout Scotland when travelling on ScotRail trains.
Reasonable expenses will be paid if required to travel on other rail services and/or stay overnight.
REQUIREMENTS
The successful applicant will be expected to support public transport in general, with a keen interest in integration between modes such as buses, active travel and rail.
A willingness of Board members to attend committees and conferences is essential (expenses will be covered) and these will give valuable access to professional railway staff and management on the front line, where your views can be heard. These include:
A knowledge of railways and their workings is desirable but not essential.
Living in East Lothian and using the county’s rail services from time to time would be advantageous.
You will be expected to liaise with the station adoption groups from time to time. They have a separate relationship with ScotRail.
You will be expected to be pro-active in instructing the website to be kept up to date via the CRP’s appointed webmaster, and in responding to public enquiries which come via the website. You will not be required to answer complaints from the travelling public but direct these to ScotRail for attention.
From time to time it may be necessary to communicate with the local Press (East Lothian Courier and occasionally Edinburgh Evening News).
To apply for the position please contact Harry Barker at harrylbarker@gmail.com by the closing date of 30 October 2024.