Isle of Wight Steam Railway

When did you last go there? Southern Vectis is not run by un-enterprising idiots, anything but! There are open top services covering Robin Hill but if you tried to run a double decker through Havenstreet it would become an instant single decker by virtue of the railway bridge.

 

That gave me a giggle .... cheers Paul.

Why does there seen to be no modern equivalent of the 'charabancs' of yore? There must be plenty of places where, due to bridges, enveloping forest and other overhanging odds and sods, a double decker isn't a particularly good idea. The closest things I can think of, still running in the UK today, are Blackpool tramway's "boats".

 

I'm sure the Open topped downs bus did for one season call at Havenstreet Station ,from the Newport direction, turn round and head back towards Newport without having to try to go under the bridge of doom .

 

If so, that would explain all. Soutnern Vectis are not in business to lose money and foot passengers (like myself) can access via Wootton or Smallbrook.

 

I'm curious as to why the attitude of SWT and SWR would be different - obviously the holding company is different in each case, but presumably most of the staff and management would have TUPE'd across when the franchise changed and therefore would still be the same people? So presumably it is a difference of attitude emanating right from the top of SWR?

Tom

 

I believe that the entire negotiating team changed.

 

There is the minor matter of the financial difficulties facing the SWR franchise and, separately, First Group.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Admittedly you are probably right there Paul... I really must stop replying on here in the late hours of night, something about that time makes me less sensible and far too naive and ambitious in scope of ideas for my own good.

Apologies to all, hopefully I shall return to more level headed replies and general posts on here, for while optimistic I'd like to think I'm not too naive and deep in WIBN to be taken seriously on this forum...

A pity a change in management has curtailed ambitions to reach Ryde St Johns Station somewhat, can only hope an agreement can be reached that works best for the railway, as I have heard word possibilities presently at the moment in IOWSR operating into the station aren't exactly ideal. To sum up what I recall, I believe either the railway builds a new platform adjacent the station, or they run into the station itself but have to top and tail and trains... Never an ideal operation, far better to have a run round loop, preferably at the platform itself that trains run into. Hopefully the best outcome can be settled on, and indeed that this plan of reaching Ryde St Johns Station happen at all.

 

It's not to the extent of threat of closure to the line, is it? Could that ever happen?

 

?

 

Sorry should have been more clear, I meant if the franchise running the Isle of Wight railway lines got too severe, could it lead to the closure of the island's railway lines. Didn't mean to sound like I was implying the heritage railway.

 

That is how I took it. My question mark relates to the uncertainty regarding Island Line.

 

Worse case scenario its possible, for instance if the DFT turn down the request for funding to make the changes and lease the replacement stock, then as I see it SWR will have to either keep things as they are, repairing the present stock, which will not be economically viable, or ask the DFT to remove it from the franchise, SWR are not making the returns they anticipated from the Southwestern Franchise, and may try to renegotiate the deal, who knows, they may even decide its losing them too much and walk away from it, meaning the whole franchise will have to be offered again, or taken in house by DFT. part of the renegotiation could very well be to remove some loss making lines from the franchise, such as the Island line, in which case, it will be offered to local government, who will say no, and line will close, what happens after that is anyone's guess depending on the local fall out and possible change of government nationally should there be a general election in the next 12 months.

 

I am not sure why Island line is being singled out, their must be many more lines that if treated in isolation could be proven to be making a loss. If every single line that made a loss was then taken out of the franchise system and ultimately closed we would have a very much reduced Railway system. Each franchise comes with loss making lines, some with more than others. Some of the posters seem to have very fertile imagination.

 

The issues are with First Group as a company, and then the challenges of making a return on the SWR franchise. Nothing has been said that suggests to me that either First Group are likely to go under, or that they will hand back the keys to SWR.

However, that financial background may well have a bearing on the approach to partnering with other organisations (including the IOWSR), and what investment of time and effort (hence money) will be available.

 

'Beeching II'.

Noel

 

It isn't just about senior people, a franchise change is essentially a full new business plan. It is entirely possible their submission had a different solution to the SWT one.

 

Ah apologies, must understand what the question mark was for.

 

And of course the new franchise terms would not have been the same as the one SWT operated under, its telling that for what ever reason SWR are not making the same profit that they expected, or were lead to believe they would, I would assume they are paying more back to the treasury also, hence my point about an loss making self contained branch, when the rest on paper should be profitable, and in any negotiation there will be bartering points, , I did say worse case scenario , if your wanting to stop losses, you will try to make cut backs where you can, where your allowed to, and the DFT might even think if it saves the franchise, remove it and re tender it on its own, as a stand alone, the problem though will be who would want it, who wants to take on a line in need of total renewal .

 

I suggest reading the informed modern railway press, and especially Modern Railways. Without disappearing off topic, I’ll just comment that the issues on SWR are not the kind that can be sorted by taking Island Line out of the equation, and the negotiations are on a different order of magnitude. The only point in common that they have is the inability to run the desired services due to power supply issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk