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TAS undertakes Morecambe-Leeds Community Rail study

12 December 2006

Specialist public transport consultants The TAS Partnership Ltd. are undertaking a review of the Morecambe to Leeds Community Rail line in partnership with Lancashire County Council and Northern Rail.

Perhaps better known for its consultancy advice to bus operators, government departments and local authorities in recent years, TAS has proven experience in growing the public transport bus market. Although TAS has been involved in several high profile franchise bids over the past eighteen months, the Morecambe to Leeds study represents a “toe in the water” in terms of Community Rail.

The Morecambe to Leeds line has been on the endangered list several times over the last twenty years, the most recent being the review of the Northern franchise which rejected closure. Today only five trains operate over the core rural section of the route and neither Leeds nor Lancaster have any convenient trains for commuting purposes.

The TAS review will study the line’s revenue and patronage base, undertake a survey of existing users to determine satisfaction and aspirations and draw upon experience elsewhere to inform potential development options for the line.

Philip Higgs, Principal Consultant at The TAS Partnership commented “We will be looking at the potential to increase the passenger base on this deeply rural line including timetabling and fares initiatives. Experience elsewhere shows just what can be done and we would like to see a reversal of the fortunes for the Morecambe to Leeds line”.

Ends

For further information, contact philip.higgs@tas-part.co.uk telephone 01772 204988.

Notes to editors

1. TAS was founded in 1989 and has grown to be the UK's leading specialist public transport consultancy, with a current turnover in excess of £1.5m a year and over 25 full-time staff. Our client base includes the major UK transport groups, Department for Transport, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland Government, Passenger Transport Executives and local authorities throughout the country.