West Somerset Railway General Discussion

What, jumbo pasties ?

 

I have to say I’m very disappointed. My base is at Blue Anchor but my preferred stretch of the line is from Watchet to Bishops Lydeard.

It seems that the only way I will get to see that section this year will be to either drive to BL and dump my car and do a round trip from there or travel by train from Blue Anchor to BL and then get public transport back to Blue Anchor.

What makes it more annoying is that those who start their journey from BL have not one but two opportunities to do the complete round trip.

Once again I feel that choosing to base myself at the seaside end of the line I’m treated like the poor relation.

 

The latest "Backtrack" has a piece on the evolution of the layout at Ilfracombe station - well worth a read if you can get a copy.

 

Well you could try Lyderad, or even Lydaerd on the brown timetable, six times they've messed that up

 

I’m staying in Minehead in the summer holiday. So my only opportunity for a ride on the WSR will be to go to Watchet and back? There will be 2 adults and 2 small children so will have to book a table of 4 for £80 (no concessions or family tickets).

No thanks, I think we’ll be heading over to Woody Bay instead.

It seems strange you can already pre book these trips right up to January next year. Surely things will be very different by then (with the vaccine and Boris telling us all restrictions could be lifted in June). Shouldn’t the opportunity to be taken re access the situation in a few months, and decide if a different method of operation is more appropriate?

The Swanage Railway for example has only published its timetable for April so far. All other future months say ‘timetable to be announced’.

 

https://www.somersetcountygazette.c...rset-railway-set-re-start-train-services-may/

"When and if the Covid restrictions start to lift, we will amend our plans to suit the situation at that time, and issue updates as soon as we have confirmation of a change in circumstances.”

 

Makes sense, but seems silly to be accepting bookings for so far ahead when things will probably change.

 

I dont know who or why they decided to start taking bookings now, but from my perspective, advertising an 'expected case timetable' for the year now and allowing advanced bookings early allows people to start planning the year, and inspires confidence they will be running throughout the year to that timetable or potentially a better timetable. Seeing a timetable just for April then TBA for the rest of the year doesn't give me confidence or help me plan what I want to do this year, im more likely to plan my potential days out and holidays to cater for railways I actually know will be open!

Whatever the WSR, or any railway do, will never please everyone. But from what I have seen from my visits to the WSR, and comments on here and elsewhere on the internet about typical WSR operating days, it seems they are catering for the trips the majority of the visitors typically do which is possibly what you would have travelled on (first train from minehead, last train to minehead being two examples I always note as very quiet on my previous visits).

 

Perfectly reasonable; that’s the minimum service and it may increase. Any cash will help, and I’ll not criticise a tourist attraction right now for trying to to optimise their position.

I would also write to the railway, calmly, and set out my disappointment. We know that the historical data shows very strong bias to visitors’ days starting at BL, but feedback from a Minehead tourist can only help inform.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I take the point about getting future cash; however, the difficulty is that if the service frequency does improve in the future, the needs of the timetable may mean that the trains you have started to sell in the future may need to be significantly re-timed. Which at the very least is lots of admin (and not a great customer experience) if you have to start phoning round to say to people that the 10:30 train they had booked on will now be replaced by a 9:45 or an 11:15, and which would they prefer? Experience elsewhere in the current environment seemed to be to maintain a degree of caution about future plans, and only commit (and release tickets) weeks, rather than months, in advance.

The current environment makes predictions very hard. There are a range of scenarios of what might happen from fairly pessimistic to very optimistic. One plausible scenario on the upside is that there is a lot of pent-up demand (and saving) in the economy, particularly amongst the demographic who frequent heritage railways. So when the brakes come off, there could be a struggle to run enough trains to cope with all the people. Not guaranteed, but it is possible. Once again this year, flexibility is going to be key.

Tom

 

I’m not criticising them for trying to optimise their position. I’m just pointing out that this might not actually be optimising their position at all.

As Tom points out, they are setting themselves up for an awful lot of admin in future. Cancelling and changing bookings, issuing refunds etc and not creating a great customer experience.

Things might change, and say in August it might be possible to allow walk in bookings at more normal fares. Doing this might be the best way to optimise income at the time. So then they have two choices.

1 - continue with the pre booking system because that’s what they’ve committed to, even though it might not optimise income.

2 - Change to a walk in more normal system, but then have a flood of people who have pre booked at the higher prices wanting their money back.

It does seem the WSR are a year behind the times. Last year a lot of railways were doing the pre booked book a table of 4 system. This year other railways are proceeding more cautiously and taking things one month at a time.

 

Why don't the railway,( wsr) operate a vintage bus then between Watchet and Minehead stations, to allow people that want to visit either destinations to do that, ?

 

It is not good to charge a man and his dog (pace @martin1656) as much to travel as a family of four. This is aggravated by over-long routes , something which is not confined to the W.S.R.

Pre-booking is to everyone's advantage. Visitors are guaranteed seats, often at discounted rates, whilst a railway knows how many seats are available to last minute visitors.

 

There's one possible fly in the ointment. Back when the BR service was withdrawn, there was some sort of agreement with the local bus company, to ensure decent services to/from Taunton, which was one reason the original planned DMU service didn't happen. Would that affect a 'heritage' link? Dunno.

 

Surprised that they are not running as far as Washfordyou would have the joy of a loco working hard up the bank and a first class museum to visit before the trip back to BL

 

Buses of Somerset appear to be introducing a Watchet - Lynmouth open-top bus this summer. Wonder if it’ll be possible to do a Taunton-Watchet-Lynton-Barnstaple-Exeter-Taunton round trip in a day? Ideally, with a stop at Woody Bay. No timetables yet though...

https://twitter.com/busesofsomerset/status/1371900672380141574?s=21

 

They just need to make sure they've topped up the tank first.

You'd almost think they don't want passengers visiting the excellent museum at Washford, especially as the WSR is so keen to develop the station.

 

Can you run a loco round at Washford or is it T & T again.
Also do the general public worry about being able to hear the loco? From my experience at Swanage most get in the coaches nearest the entrance (hence furthest from the loco) and anyway with reserved bookings I doubt you would be able to request it, just makes things all too complicated.

 

There is no loop at Washford so T&T would be required or running onwards to Blue Anchor.

 

That is true - unless the plan involves reinstating counter paths that allow a better service in between those trains.