Efforts are being made to improve integrated travel opportunities on the Penistone Line.

Representatives from the Penistone Line Partnership, South Pennine Community Transport (SPCT), and Community Rail Network met at Honley Station to explore new partnership opportunities between rail, local buses, and the community.

SPCT has recently moved into the former station yard site at Honley, so as new neighbours, and as travel picks up again post-COVID, all parties felt that the time was ripe to discuss and try out some new ideas.

Potential projects discussed included joint promotion of activities through newsletters and notice boards, a new programme of guided walks using trains and local buses, joint events – for example working with Denby Dale Centre during Dementia Week – and travel confidence initiatives with multi-modal travel training and buddy schemes. SPCT also expressed an interest in getting involved with station adoption at Honley, given they now operate from a site right next door.

Martin Clarke, community rail support and sustainability manager at Community Rail Network, said: “It’s early days, but there is a huge amount of enthusiasm, creativity and appetite for collaborating and doing something great that will bring together the community, integrating local buses and trains.”