COMMUNITY initiatives are helping to obtain better value for money from the rail network, says a report.

Local initiatives range from major schemes to people helping to maintain station gardens or the refurbishment of small rural stations with artwork from local schools.

The study was commissioned by the National Community Rail Implementation Steering Committee - which includes Network Rail, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the Association for Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP).

Community rail involves local people and organisations working in partnership to improve their local railways.

The study re-assesses and updates evidence of the value of community rail partnerships and volunteering.

Passenger use of lines served by community rail partnerships showed greater percentage growth than the national rail network or regional services.

Such CRP lines grew by 45%, compared with the regional sector overall, which only grew by 23%.

The difference amounts to an additional 18% over six years (2006/7 to 2012/13), equivalent to a 2.8% year-on-year compound rate.

CRPs more than pay for themselves, adding economic, social and environmental value, says the study.

All the CRPs in the study achieved a cash surplus, in both lower and upper growth scenarios, indicating that CRPs create more income than they cost to run.

Partnerships and productive relationships with the rail industry, local communities, local authorities and other stakeholders, are at the heart of Community Rail Partnership success.

As a result, CRPs can add economic, social and environmental value to their lines by bringing together stakeholders in a co-operative environment, the study concluded.

The full findings can be see here.