Initial Competitor Research

Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership

Aims of scheme are to:

"

1. To contribute to the visitor experience and long-term economic sustainability of Gloucestershire.
2. To improve accessibility to public transport.
3. To improve the integration of transport through sustainable modes.
4. To increase ridership profile and community involvement at all Gloucestershire's railway stations.
5. 
   To provide community insight to shape future proposals for rail investment and services across the county."

• Throughout their website, calming earthy tones are used representing the natural landscape of the area (accompanied by photographs of picturesque towns or landscapes). Aesthetic of nature, sustainability and cleanliness
• 
  Multiple maps are featured such as maps displaying a very simple, broken down diagram of the train stations in the region and where each is located, also marking key stations from those that are smaller. There are also maps for each station and it's surrounding area which is more beneficial to people looking to travel somewhere specific, possibly tourists/visitors to the area being locals would most likely know where they are going.

• Back of leaflet features an enlarged map of the specific area which is great for quick usage. This balance of illustrative information and type is very user friendly as it allows enough space for the user to follow and read the map whilst important, helpful information compliments this ease.

• Aesthetic and layout choices make you want to explore the stations, featuring lots of open white space. This open space also amplifies the aesthetic of cleanliness and sustainability which further enhances the users experience and enticement. Leaflet features very recognisable symbols that make wayfaring a lot easier and accessible rather than using lots of type. Symbols are also described within leaflet to ensure that they can be understood.

Sussex Communities Rail Partnership

• "Connecting Communities and the Railway"
• This community partnership appears to target all audiences and ages, allowing you to volunteer to help out with the railway as well as educating children on the environment and the benefits of rail. They also help you run and promote organised walks/cycles between stations, similar to what this brief sets out to achieve.
• Pages include 'Discover the lines', 'Education' and 'Get Involved'
• Their brand identity features a mixture of blue and green tones, complimenting the landscape of Sussex's coastline and vast countryside areas.
• Within the website, a variety of maps are displayed which follow the same ideas applied by the Gloucestershire Partnership, featuring a simplistic overview of the entire region whilst each line is displayed in a much more detailed view, showing a near-exact route, incline and surrounding towns/main roads which is suitable being users looking for a map of a certain area will most likely want a detailed diagram to follow.
• For each area, they also have a digital PDF specialised for it as a trifold leaflet. This leaflet features key towns with a brief description of each, the aims of the organisation, information surrounding rail travel in the area as well as a section on the beauty of the landscape. Also have launched 'Rail to Ramble scheme' which has leaflets for each walk, featuring information on the time, gradient of landscape, path conditions, brief description of what you'll see and a step-by-step instructorial guide on one side with a large, map on the other. This document is very useful but will not be completely useful for me as it is focused on one specific route instead of as the project as a whole. 

East Suffolk Lines

• The East Suffolk rail community partnership "aims to bring together representatives of the local transport authority, local planning authorities, train operating company, infrastructure operator and a wide range of local community groups", securing a successful future for the environment and railway.
• Whilst the previous partnerships use a lot of clean, modern design ideas, the East Suffolk station-to-station walking guide uses a much more traditional style, complimenting the traditional ideology of the rail 'golden-age'. This book also includes written instructions amongst diagrams which give a very detailed image of your proposed surroundings. However, I feel that this is not very accessible as you will have to figure out which step you are within these instructions if lost instead of simply looking at the diagram. This booklet also features key information about the journey, such as a suggested duration for each walk as well as where you will be able to purchase refreshments along the route.
• Overall, I do not think that the somewhat 'dated' appearance works well. Instead of feeling energetic and inspiring, it feels quite tiring and possibly too relaxed despite this fitting the landscape.