West Somerset Railway General Discussion

It could and should be magnificent.

The inability to jump at the chance of wonderful inspiring opportunities like Dunster Goods shows the quality of management and lack of vision for some years past. I look forward to seeing recent and further changes take our Railway to its rightful place at the top table of heritage Railways.

Robin

 

Steam is back!

The November fast is over. ECS for Dunster by Candlelight passing Stogumber at 13:20.

Robin

 

Sadly rather like the MRLG people you seem driven by the dream and overlooking the realities of how to achieve that dream. Nothing wrong with a dream or a mission. But it helps to understand the facts. I am one of those WSR supporters who would like to see the line used for regular daily passenger services between Taunton and Minehead without damaging one of the area's biggest tourist attractions (and perhaps damage one of Minehead's bigger employers). However, I am aware of the necessary improvements that would ensure the present operation is not compromised. If (and that's a big 'if') the MRLG's desired independent feasability study happens then I'm sure many of those issues will emerge along with possible solutions and costings. Perhaps we should encourage such a study as it should reveal the actual facts rather than what some see as a blinkered view from interested folks.

Steve

 

Dunster Goods is an achingly inviting prospect. So many of the stations were ruined before the closure but Dunster remains essentially complete and we make nothing of it. Stogumber is a shining example of what can be done and that was something out of nothing, now a destination in its own right.

Together with the station plus a bit of heritage theatricals Dunster could perhaps be monetized and stand as a tourist attraction in its own right.

 

Every side of the equation mentioned here has valid points and reading them make sense from the point of view taken. However, given that West Somerset has a plan to build more homes and presumably attract some form of employment for those who will live in these new homes, it does seem to me that the present road system - which at a quick glance a Google - could need expensive upgrades in some areas. I think these costs have been considered at local authority circles.
The costs of those upgrades could be far be more - or might be less - that upgrading the railway infrastructure. One point, probably not lost by those wanting a rail link, is that the money for these up gradings would come from different sources some of which are less likely to hit the coffers of local authorities. An line upgrade would benefit the WSR, I am sure and would need to be maintained by full time staff - either WSR or NR under a form of contract to the track owner. Whether any of this will happen, of course, rests not with us pundits on NP but those who make decisions in far off places.
Recent government statements suggest some attempt to come to terms with the ever increasing road use - West Somerset not being as severe as some areas - also there is, of course, the other parliamentary view of nationalization. I have wondered whether the WSR, only leasing the trackbed, might be an easier target that those successful lines who own their trackbed and infrastructure.
I can understand the protective nature of preservationists regarding their railway but many do tend to look to the past more frequently rather than the future which is a point that it is made in a previous post.
I don't believe any suggestion, in favour of re-instatement of through running to Taunton being proposed, is for an intensive service. But, whilst such a limited service, even if proven useful, may take people away from the Minehead and some other areas en-route, I believe it could increase traffic in the opposite direction. A very carefully worked out timetable, to fit traffic patterns, would be a requirement and any service would, I believe, need to be operated by a TOC rather than the WSR.
Just a hypothesis of course, but as they say - "time will tell".

 

Actually I think the real backward lookers are less the preservationists than the W.I.B.Nites. This country is an absolute sucker for thinking the past was some sort of mythical golden age. Whilst tourist railway people strive, with varying success, to give a picture postcard impression, knowing it is just an impression, the W.I.B.N. crowd really believe the illusion.

Cynical me wonders whether this railway revival stuff is a means for politicians to divert attention from more expensive but far more useful, projects being dropped.

PH

 

MRL are proposing between eight and ten return trips per day in due course. That should work in well with the August timetable.[/QUOTE]

 

If (and that's a big 'if') the MRLG's desired independent feasibility study happens then I'm sure many of those issues will emerge along with possible solutions and costings. Perhaps we should encourage such a study as it should reveal the actual facts rather than what some see as a blinkered view from interested folks.



Indeed. By way of comparison, I recently travelled on the reinstated Borders Railway between Tweedbank and Edinburgh Waverley. The free 200+ car park was full at 09.30 and the trains themselves were full both ways. Passenger numbers have greatly exceeded those projected. Naysayers were proved wrong in this case. Minehead-Taunton is a very, very different proposition (understatement) but it seems hard to argue that it shouldn’t be studied properly and costed.


BK

 

You'd think so wouldn't you.
There's no shortage of empty shops so there seems to be no demand for shop premises in our High Street. Two of the shop units where the landlord priced the tenants out are still empty over six months later, the two tenants have rented other shop units elsewhere in the High Street and are happily trading from their new shops.

 

I agree with what you say but don't both the SVR and North Norfolk own both their lines rather than lease the track beds? Would have thought it makes it a bit easier to expand facility's wise when you own what you intend to build on rather than lease it.

 

Well didn't the council offer the WSR railway the chance to buy the freehold some years ago but then the WSR plc and the West Somerset Railway Association both tried to say they should acquire it and it led to some falling out between them and eventually the council changed their mind and withdrew the offer. I don't know the full story, but was something like this. Anyway if they were to acquire some extra land to build facilities like say a loco shed, carriage shed etc then they would at least own that bit.
A lease: I don't this is a stumbling block anyway unless there is only say less than 10 years left for it to run. Apparently the WSR plc holds the land and buildings related to the railway under a 99 year lease granted in 1989.

 

I don’t totally disagree with you. However, time after time, the question that has not been answered is just how much demand there is for a regular passenger service rather than those who want a steam train ride? Before looking at the practicalities knowing the potential demands is crucial rather than WIBN. If, and only if, it can be shown that there really is an adequate demand is it worth spending money on the full feasibility study.The second biggest problem is how can a sufficient number of paths be found to run the trains. During galas there are none. During half of the year engineering works are likely to mean few, if any, trains could run. I find it very hard to see how a service that would compete with the buses could be accommodated. A half hourly service would saturate the line on the WSR part and would be very hard, or impossible, to accommodate on the NR tracks. How could an affordable fare structure be devised that would not conflict with that of the Hertage trains? Quite apart from the massive costs, both capital, and running, I just can’t see the above problems being overcome. To do so needs real hard facts not fantasies.

 

Take shopping in the places I normally use: for me it would be a mile walk to the local station, train to Taunton, up to 3 mile walk and return to Taunton station, mile walk this end. Not even empty handed would I do that. Or is he going to restructure the bus company too because they do not go where I need them either end of my journey. Students, anything up to 4 mile trek to a station at stupid o'clock, 20 minute walk to 'tech in Taunton. Hospital appointment? Again a trek to the local station then 2 buses in Taunton to get there then the same back. Pensioner having a day trip, buses are free. Average Joe that works in Taunton is on minimum wage, station is the 'wrong' end of town for the majority of workers let alone shift/split shift employees.
The punters would be the holiday makers booking in to 'his' B&B or Butlins. But once they've travelled down they aren't going to go for a leisurely steam ride in the week are they ...

 

Yes, but the other one is still waiting for its rail service to be reinstated.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Taunton_(MBTA_station)

 

A few years ago there were some trains run between Bristol and Minehead, but the (?) trial was not repeated. Perhaps we should study the lessons from that (presumably) failed experiment, before going further down that road. I'd love to see trains running between Taunton and Minehead again, but not at the risk of bankrupting the WSR.

John

 

Someone on FB asked about these trains. My reply was "There were a few through trains in 2007 between Minehead and Bristol. The operator (Victa Westlink) later went out of business and despite the WSR's best efforts, no other TOC...was interested. I hope that explains why those trains ceased." One key factor is to have a TOC willing to take the risk. There is still no queue at the door.

Those services were not a waste of time though. A lot of experience and information was gained esp by the WSR.

Steve

 

Did the SCC offer the WSRplc the freehold??
Is this not a myth created by others?
Happy to be show some facts to back this change to buy the freehold claim
Jeff

 

It does not really matter. The freehold is still owned by SCC and the WSR PLC has a seventy odd year lease.

 

I always thought that the company that run the trains went bankrupt rather than the trains themselves went a success, certinally at the time Butlins were very keen that they continued to run

 

Maybe the plc still hold the ticketing information for those trains, most passengers I observed were Share and/or ID holders