Welcome to the Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership website!

The Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership (CRP) was launched in 2005 with formal designation granted from the DfT in March 2006. Our rolling stock is former 1938 Northern Line underground electric trains, which has made this 8.5 mile line an attraction in its own right!

The partnership’s original stakeholders were Island Line, Isle of Wight Council, Wightlink and the Quality Transport Partnership (QTP). However due to successful projects and partnership working, the CRP have expanded its executive membership to include the Island's other transport providers, Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Southern Vectis, Hovertravel and Red Funnel. This is seen by many to be a great way to work together for seamless travel and sustainable transport, thus encouraging people to use public transport leaving their gas guzzlers at home to reduce congestion thus encouraging our children to stop nagging us about the carbon footprint, (we are trying) for them to have a brighter, cleaner future.

There are so many things to do on the Island and great connections to the mainland, so we hope that the many links on our website will help you discover and experience activities and attractions from Ryde to Shanklin and beyond. Whether it’s cycling or walking the Wight, surfing, sailing or swimming the choice is vast. Why not, after riding on our train, get the Rail Link bus from Shanklin to Ventnor’s Botanic Gardens and then on to Yarmouth to get one of the lovely new Wightlink ferries to Lymington, where you can experience what this beautiful town has to offer. On then to one of the last slam door trains in the country and up to Brockenhurst where you could jump on a bike and experience the cycle tracks in the New Forest.

If you are taking a few days to explore this wonderful area from the Island, Southampton has lots to offer for the shopaholic on Red Funnel's Red Jet from Cowes, the sailing mecca of the UK serviced by the No. 4 Southern Vectis from Ryde to East Cowes and then the floating bridge across the river Medina. Southsea with the Blue Reef Aquarium is only 10 minutes away from Ryde by Hovercraft as is Portsmouth on the Fast Cat to the many attractions they have in the city, including the historic Naval Dockyard as just one example.

Vision statement

“The aim of the Community Rail Partnership is to create a sustainable future for rail on the Isle of Wight”

To increase use of existing train services and Solent connections;
To develop community goodwill and involvement with the local railway;
To improve station facilities and environment;
To develop integrated transport links to and from the railway;
To assist with developing agreed long-term strategies for the local railway.

Objectives

To work in partnership with the local management of Island Line to achieve the following objectives:

To identify potential growth markets for the rail service;
To support station development projects along the line and act as a catalyst for other projects;
To work positively with other transport providers;
To work with the tourism industry on the island and mainland to promote use of rail;
To ensure that the railway is an active participant in regeneration strategies for the Island;
To identify new potential stakeholders in the community;

TRAIN TIMES

Click here to view the timetable

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