Torbay Express 2015

The 2014 standard Class Fare was £85. I'd love to know how they can justify a more than 10% increase.

 

Yes, that maybe so, but every one of those passengers will have paid a fare commensurate with the distance they are travelling, which was the issue I raised originally ? Why would someone joining / leaving the TE at Taunton need to pay the same as someone joining at Bristol for a journey that is 60 miles shorter. That's what doesn't add up to me ?

 

Thanks, yes I thought it was around that. I'm just thinking, having this week booked two seats on the Clan Line Farewell Tour from London to Chester and back for £95 each, the same fare for Taunton to Paignton and return is rather poor value, especially when you consider the Torbay Express is a repeat itinerary tour, and the Clan Line trip is a one off.

 

Just as an afterthought, aren't we supposed to be in a period of "deflation" ?

 

The first year was 2004 with 7802, hence the shortened rake. I think it was 8 coaches, 5 TSOs, RMB, a brake and a support coach. And it was 50 quid!

 

Yes, that's right, in fact I think it was £45 Can anyone think of any other product or service where the price has increased by over 100% since 2004 ?

 

But were Past Time charging enough for this trip ( and others they were running) when they were running them ?

I have found the first report to creditors dated 3rd July 2009 from the liquidator

It states on their filed accounts period ending 31/12/2006 they lost just under £ 170,000 ( and an accumlated loss of of just under f £ 477,000.00), 31/12/2007 £ 161,000.00 ( £ 638,000).
I have not had time to read through the rest of it.

 

The net contributions by the UK government to the EU have risen over 100% in that period (£4.4 billion in 2005-6, and estimated to come in at about £10 billion in 2013-4. You may think the Torbay Express is a bit over-priced, but it's considerably better value for money than the useless EU.

 

But you could also argue that prices have rose in the last 5 years and wages have not, I do worry unless normal people start seeing the benefit of an allegedly improving economy in their pay soon, we might hit breaking point with regards to prices of some tour promoters.

 

I'm sorry, but talk about going off topic, that really takes the biscuit !

 

Well that's an interesting analogy, and would be interesting to track the two. I wonder if our stats loving fellow members could come with something to that effect ?

 

Oh for crying out loud...

 

I was at uni in 2004, so yes, my wages have gone up a bit since then

Even so, you can't deny the fact the price of the tour has doubled in 10 years. The whole point in the Torbay Express when it started was it was a regular, repeat operation with lower overheads than one off tours. Same set of stock, couple of locos, so no light engine or empty stock moves, and mainly standard class to get people to the seaside for a day out. Now the stock is used in between on other tours, there's several locos that are allocated and have other work in between. It's no longer a cheap and cheerful day out.

 

Not at all. The question I answered was "Can anyone think of any other product or service where the price has increased by over 100% since 2004?" It didn't mention that the product or service had to be railway-related. I think that the price of a flat (or even a garage) in Central London might also qualify as a "product or service" that has increased by over 100% since 2004, but unlike the costs of our membership of the EU, I don't have the statistics to hand.

 

Regarding the stock - having it sit around all week doing nothing is not good business, though, so that lost income may have cancelled out the cost of the ECS moves. Also, I wonder how much it cost to park the set on one of the centre-roads at Temple Meads, compared to a siding at Eastleigh or Westbury, for example? I guess the owners didn't want to leave the set in the Bristol suburbs for fear of vandalism.

 

One of the advantages of parking the coaching stock in the middle of Temple Meads station is that the windows are adorned with Torbay Express advertisements. The stock is usually in a very good condition and therefore an excellent way of promoting the Torbay Express. <BJ>

 

Yes, that's right. There's usually plenty of people waiting around at BRI waiting for things to happen so a good audience for promotion like that. Hopefully somebody will have put a stock of TBEx leaflets inside one of the browsers by now, another good opportunity to promote new business, : )

 

Anyone like to suggest which loco will be allocated to the 14th June tour ?

I'm highly likely to be travelling on this one. My own hunch is it'll be 70000 Britannia, which is already at Bristol Barton Hill, and now the WCR suspension has been lifted, will presumably be in charge of next Friday's "Dartmouth Express". Nothing booked for her after that though according to UK Steam.