The Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership

We are working with Calderdale Council and local communities to form the Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership.

The partnership aims to improve and promote the Calder Valley Line in Rochdale and Calderdale. For example by increasing community involvement, enhancing train stations and protecting current service offerings.

A train proceeding through the Calder Valley.

About the Calder Valley Line

The Calder Valley Line offers a direct route to many different leisure and tourism opportunities and links us to Manchester and Leeds city centres.

The Calder Valley Line is a huge asset to Rochdale and something we’re incredibly lucky to have.

What we're doing

We are currently working to:

  • Recruit a part-time Community Rail Partnership Officer to work with communities to develop and deliver an action plan to promote the Calder Valley Line
  • Establish a Steering Group to set the strategy for the partnership
  • Raise awareness of the partnership and encourage local schools, colleges, businesses, station adoption groups and other community organisations to join our Stakeholder Group
  • Apply to join the Community Rail Network which is the membership body for 70 community rail partnerships in the UK

Get involved

We would like to hear from local schools, colleges, businesses and community organisations who are interested in getting involved with the partnership. For more information, please get in touch using the contact details on this page. 

Our priorities

Our priorities are to:

  • Provide a voice for communities
  • Promote sustainable and healthy travel
  • Bring communities together, supporting diversity and inclusion
  • Support social and economic development
These are the same priorities as the Department for Transport’s Community Rail Strategy.

Why we've created the partnership

We recognise how important the Calder Valley Line is to residents, businesses and visitors, connecting us to family, friends, work, education and leisure opportunities.

We want more people to know about and to use their local train services. By encouraging people who live along the line to get involved with their railway, we will gather ideas for local improvements and work together to make them happen.

We can now apply for funding opportunities that are only open to community rail partnerships.

Train stations covered by the partnership

All main railway stations in the boroughs of Rochdale and Calderdale are within the Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership area.

The stations are Mills Hill, Castleton, Rochdale, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Walsden, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Brighouse. It also includes Elland which is planned to open by 2023.

Once the Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership is established, it could include more stations along the line, extending as far as Bradford, Leeds and Manchester Victoria.