South Western Railway reach out to other businesses

They're willing to invest £5.3m in community projects

South West Railway is looking for projects based on its railway network to make a positive difference to people’s lives. No matter how big or small, successful bids can include a wide range of schemes and activities, from outreach projects helping to open rail travel to diverse communities, educational campaigns, cycle schemes, through to full-scale building and refurbishment projects.

CCIF runs every two years until 2024. SWR is making £5.3m available for projects in this current period, which includes £100,000 designated for the Isle of Wight, and is keen to hear from local authorities, rail user groups, charities, and other similar organisations, for their ideas.

The deadline for submissions closes in three weeks on Friday 6 September 2019. SWR, along with independent observers such as Transport Focus, will choose which schemes receive final approval for funding. 

Mark Youngman, South Western Railway's Customer and Communities Improvement Fund Manger, said: "We're pleased by the quality of applications to the CCIF programme, and are excited by the innovative ideas we've received. They capture the essence of what the programme is about: making a positive difference to communities on our network. 

"There's still time left before we close the application process, so the message for anyone who hasn’t submitted their bid: drop us a line about your idea, don’t wait until it is too late."