Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway Updates

They weren't when I visited in May.

 

Yes, it's off my list for this reason. I'm not fussy about most heritage railway aspects (traction, location, length, scenery etc.) but I do have one red line and that is I must be able to turn up on the day, buy a rover ticket, and travel on any service** unless *I* decide it's too crowded, but be allowed to board (and stand if necessary) if I want to.

** Apart from something like a dining special or similar, of course.

They may be doing OK financially, but they might do even better if they were less prescriptive.

 

Much my own experience. I went there last summer to be told the train was full. I watched it depart, it wasn't full ( I've sent off many trains and I know what "full" looks like.). So two return fares lost. Went to Bolton Abbey instead.

 

I can remember visiting the embsay steam railway in about 2013 and 2014 and they just used to sell me a return ticket and tell me I were allowed to travel on the trains all day with it at the value of £10 back then I sometimes used to donate towards hunslet loco Wheldale (now restoration nearly complete) or the skipton extension to reconnect embsay jct to the Grassington line.
I think nowadays since the covid 19 pandemic they changed policy did the Y.D.R. only allow one round trip for £15 either starting at Bolton Abbey or Embsay, you can do 3 round trips but it would cost £45 for x3 return tickets usually best to start at embsay to get the full line mileage.

 

I think they should revert to a conventional fare and timetable structure.
When we were there a year ago we wanted to travel on both of the sets operating that day but couldn't understand what tickets to buy from the published information. Not all the trains that were running appeared on the operating list and the assumption seemed to be that you'd come straight back on the same set leave little time to look atound. The ticket staff at Embsay were helpful and said we could wait for the second but to tell the staff on the train.
It was OK in the end but very off- putting.