The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (The Bentham Line) held their 2025 AGM at Bentham Town Hall during which Gerald Townson, Chairman, presented a very positive annual report to its members.

The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (The Bentham Line) held their 2025 AGM at Bentham Town HalL during which Gerald Townson, Chairman, presented a very positive annual report to its members.

He reflected on the partnership’s joint celebration of Railway 200 and the Bentham Line’s own 175th anniversary, with a 1960s-style day out to Morecambe, complete with a vintage double-decker and brass band, and the 175th anniversary event to mark the opening of Bentham station on 2nd May 1850, with an exhibition of historic photographs and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

Following on from the ‘Rail and Sail’ project at Heysham Port all of the children from St. Peter’s Church of England Primary School created a ‘Birds of the Bay’ welcome mural with the assistance of a local artist. Supporting those living with dementia, alongside their carers, on group visits to the line continues to be important inclusivity project.

The Bentham Line also received very welcome publicity from the Lonely Planet organisation which included the route in their ‘Best of Travel 2025’ guide alongside nine other journeys from around the world.

At the AGM, the following appointments were made for 2025-26:

Gerald was re-elected a Chairman, Rod Tickner as Vice Chair, Secretary and Hugh Turner as Treasurer. These three together with David Bousfield, Pete Myers, Graham North, Richard Watts and Mike Cliffe will make up the Board of Directors for 2023/24.

The Bentham Line Annual Report 2024/25 can be seen here, and the accompanying slideshow here.