A DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY RAILWAY
The Bentham Line Community Rail Partnership
We have been awarded accreditation by the Department for Transport. Recognising that the partnership operates to a high standard and that its objectives and activities are supported by the Government.
The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (LMCRP) has a management group that meets quarterly. The group consists of officers and representatives from North Yorkshire County Council, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster City Council, Craven District Council, Arriva Rail North and Network Rail.
The group also has a representative from each of the following; Lancaster & Skipton Rail Users Group, Aire Valley Rail Users Group, Lancaster, Morecambe & District Rail User Group and the Friends of Bentham Station. LMCRP is a company limited by guarantee and has a board of directors.
Accountability
The Department for Transport’s accreditation process requires that every community rail partnership (CRP) that has been accredited maintains documents including a Route Prospectus, Terms of Reference, and an annual Action Plan, that is reviewed and amended as appropriate.
Each CRP is also asked to produce an Annual Report of its activities.
Chairman’s Report 2024-25
A further encouraging year for the partnership
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.
