The Days Out by Rail campaign, coordinated by Community Rail Network, aims to inspire and encourage day-trippers and leisure travellers to jump aboard a train, for exciting, fun, eco-friendly outings.
Days Out by Rail draws on local insights and ideas from community rail, a grassroots movement spanning Britain, which involves communities and volunteers with their local railways and stations. The initiative is raising awareness about rail as one of the greenest ways to travel – especially combined with walking, cycling and buses – avoiding traffic jams, parking and pollution. The campaign encourages people to leave the car at home and take the train to cut carbon emissions by two thirds, while enabling exploration of lesser-known spots as part of a day out, short break or staycation.
Yorkshire is one of the most diverse tourist destinations in Britain, boasting a wealth of exciting attractions, scenic walking routes and heritage sites easily accessible by rail. Journey through impressive Yorkshire Dales scenery along The Bentham Line (Leeds to Morecambe), window gaze at the stunning Edale and Hope Valley landscapes with the Hope Valley Line (Manchester to Sheffield) and enjoy panoramic views of the South Pennines as you cross one of four viaducts along the Penistone Line (Huddersfield to Sheffield).
Yorkshire’s six community rail partnerships, including Hope Valley Line, Penistone Line and The Bentham Line, will be highlighting places to visit and things to do across the region as part of the campaign.
Catherine Croney, High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership Officer said: “We’re proud to support Community Rail Network’s Days Out by Rail campaign. We are really keen to reduce the amount of car travel in our communities and this campaign provides us with the valuable opportunity to encourage our visitors to come to the Peak District by train whilst also highlighting some delightful days out along the Hope Valley, Buxton and Glossop Lines.”
Chris Tarrant, adventurer, veteran broadcaster and presenter of Channel 5’s Extreme Railway Journeys has applauded the Scenic Rail Britain campaign. From the rail travel aficionado’s admission of never having been a trainspotter, it is the chance to visit new places that excite him most about rail travel. His love of traveling by train on home soil began when he swapped extreme railways in far off lands to discover more of Britain by rail in 2017.
Tarrant said:
“This campaign will hopefully encourage people to take the train more this summer. What’s not to like about sitting back and watching the scenery roll by. Britain has some of the most stunning scenery in the world and a rail journey is part of the adventure.”
Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said:
“Many people don’t realise the scope for seeing Britain’s stunning landscapes, pretty villages and historic sites by rail – and making use of our wonderful, often little-known, community rail lines and stations is a great way to do this.
We are excited to launch our Days Out by Rail campaign with help from community rail partnerships and station volunteers across Yorkshire. This campaign is all about drawing on the local knowledge and insights from the community rail movement, and sharing that with families, day-trippers and holidaymakers. We hope to inspire more people to explore our beautiful countryside and fascinating heritage through green and scenic journeys by rail, avoiding the stress and pollution of driving and parking.”