Bringing shops to small stations makes life more convenient for rail travellers and helps businesses make money while also providing a social service.

There are already convenience stores, travel agencies, bookshops and bike hire at some places.

However many stations with potential languish with semi-derelict facilities.

A conference entitled Big Ideas for Smaller Stations will aim to cut through some of the problems and show how improvements can be achieved.

Hosted by Co-operatives UK, the conference will hear from train operators, Network Rail and retailers about the opportunities, and obstacles, on smaller stations.

The event is at the Co-op New Century Hall in Manchester, on Tuesday 23 September 2003.

Larger stations, such as London Waterloo or Manchester Piccadilly, have lots of retail activity, including convenience stores, said TR&IN director Dr Paul Salveson. There must be scope for providing retail facilities at smaller stations.

The conference will hear about Cooden Beach station - a small station on the south coast - which has been transformed through a partnership between the train operator South Central Trains and Costcutter. Station staff sell both tickets and groceries!

This has been extremely successful, said Dr Salvesen. It has changed the economics of staffing stations - the staff are there in the evening, and the entire station feels safe and welcoming. And it has given the local community a useful facility which was not there before.

The event is supported by TR&IN sister organisation the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACORP). The association has been working with the Co-op in identifying potential sites for convenience stores in Wales and the West Midlands.

The event will be opened by Dame Pauline Green, chief executive and general secretary of Co-operatives UK.

We hope the major retailers involved in convenience store activity will come along and see what potential there might be, said Dr Salveson.

Having a shop on a station makes good commercial sense if the location is right and the footfall is sufficient. Not every station is suitable but we are convinced that around the country there are dozens of potential candidates.

There will be speakers from Network Rail, Wessex Trains, First North Western, Co-operatives UK, Gateway Stations, and station-based travel agencies.

Media representatives are welcome.

TR&IN is an independent conference and consultancy business. Later this year it will merge with the Association of Community-Rail Partnerships, a national federation of over 40 rail promotion groups funded by the Countryside Agency, Strategic Rail Authority and the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Conference details: TR&IN on 01484 549737 or email paul at thecarriage.freeserve.co.uk

Information from: Transport Research and Information Network, Brian Jackson Centre, New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP
Phone: 01484 549737 Fax: 01484 544234 Email: paul at thecarriage.freeserve.co.uk