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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    And Christian Wolmar mentions the WSR reopening as a quick win in a letter to today’s Times.


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  2. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    I so agree with this posting.

    This point about the ability to do maintenance works of all sorts during the "close season" is something which the W.I.B.N. crowd always overlook. Presumably because they have never done any such work themselves.

    PH
     
  3. Thanks for that. A quick win, eh? Does he explain how ? And tell us how much it could cost? And how it wouldn't destroy one of the district's top tourist attraction?

    Steve
     
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  4. railrover

    railrover Member

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    If he believes it financially viable perhaps he might offer to pay a deposit..
     
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  5. I've challenged them on this and other things. I was told it was irrelevant as it would not be "not my own money" so why am I worried about it. It is of course my money or rather our money that would pay for the necessary upgrades and the ongoing maintenance and the annual subsidies for the service itself. So it is relevant. Generally they seem happy to ignore all issues other than getting the feasibility study underway. Any attempt at getting their view on the things you mention, Mr S, is largely pointless as they are not willing to discuss, Even their "experts" don't understand (or are prepared to ignore) the issues.

    Some of the responses from "supporters" are quite revealing. One lady reckoned she'd be more than happy to pay £5 for a trip to Taunton and back once a month to do some shopping as Taunton's shops have a wider range than Minehead's.

    Steve
     
  6. The Man of Kent

    The Man of Kent New Member

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    As I have said before, and the reason for the reappearance of this topic on this thread, I'm not suggesting commuter, daily or year round services so the fantasies of the Chamber of Commerce are not part of my point. I am not blind or deaf to their shortcomings.

    What I am suggesting is an imaginative use of the link during the high season, for example a number of well targeted and broadly advertised excursions from say, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter picking up at Taunton and providing a means of spending a day in Minehead, Dunster Castle or on our railway. The HST this year that ran from the Oxford area was well patronised with members of the general public not just gricers. Additionally excursions from Minehead and other stations including Taunton, similar perhaps to the FS Somerset tours or headed to other prominent tourist destinations such as Weston-Super-Mare or Exeter.
     
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  7. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Don't forget to add an allowance for the fines by the network for late running and disruption when the path is missed, is it per 30 seconds nowadays? You'd need 3 trains, one in the 'shop on routine maintenance, one running and one on standby. How long before this bit and that bit would be need to be taken to keep this one and that one running rendering one out of service within weeks. Dedicated fitters on 24 hour call.
    With fines looming for every journey on top of the access fees you would need people at every point with their jemmy ready, especially in the winter, just in case there's points failure. No good waiting for a failure then the Bobby trekking up the track to sort it himself, minutes would mean money. That is without all the other obstacles that others have already mentioned and plenty more that haven't been mentioned yet.
     
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  8. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Going right off topic yet again, the Somerset County Gazette has a story on Minehead xmas lights.
    These funds that will be available are going to be spread around an awful lot of projects, not just railway!
    QUOTE:-
    Minehead Chamber of Commerce chairman Alex De Mendoza said the various groups involved had not communicated well enough and only started putting Saturday's event together in October on a limited budget.

    "It was a shame as Minehead needs a big Christmas event, but this year it was a lot of people trying to put it together too late with too little money," Mr De Mendoza said. "But I am optimistic, if, as I hope, the Business Investment District bid comes in next year, there will be a good amount of money in the kitty to put on an exciting event."
     
  9. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Of course not! People at Swanage may feel similarly...


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  10. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    When does the commuter service from Bridgnorth to Birmingham Moor Street start running?

    Robin
     
  11. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    He didn’t mention that; nor electrification to Alresford.


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  12. The Man of Kent

    The Man of Kent New Member

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    The best Christmas show in recent times was when locals took it into their own hands to organise it. A brilliant effort with little official support. Trains in to local events such as that and maybe the firework displays might work. I really hope the Christmas Market train is well supported - BL to MD for a fiver - makes me wish I lived at BL - almost worth the drive to come back on it!
     
  13. Like you, I reckon there is scope for more business over the link. But let's not get carried away. The recent HST you mention was a one-off special chartered (and underwritten) by a rail users group, rather than anything approaching a speculative regular venture by a TOC. Strange you should mention that HST because I used that as an example when I recently suggested to the MRLG that they charter a train or two to help them show the rest of us just how well a through train, chartered by a similar rail users group, can be filled and how well it would dovetail into the WSR's own services. Or not. I was informed it would be discussed at committee. We shall see and I will be following up. As for the general gist of your posting, I believe the ideas will cross the minds of those TOC people who do these kind of things. And if there was a proposal to put on such trains I am sure the WSR would be happy to discuss. it is clear to me that your suggestions are better aimed at a TOC or two and/or the MLRG. The WSR folk are up to their armpits running the WSR itself.

    Steve
     
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  14. Or the usefulness of the NVR, its mainline link and its potential to help the road traffic probs in Peterborough...

    Steve
     
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  15. Ian Monkton

    Ian Monkton Member

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    For the past 3 or 4 years, The Railway Touring Company has run 4 or 5 steam excursions a year from London to Minehead, and Vintage Trains have a well-established annual steam-hauled train from Tyseley to Minehead, so such trains already run. A few years ago, there were a small number of one-off trains from Minehead to such places as Cardiff, Weymouth and Paignton using FGW (as they were then) class 150 DMUs which were well patronised, however the non-availability of such units these days would be the big stumbling block. If a regular programme of, say, 12 coach loco-hauled excursions were to run from Minehead, they would need guaranteed loadings of 400-500 passengers to make them viable, and how long would it be before the local patrons of those trains began to get weary of travelling on those?
     
  16. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    And, for all of these, we have the difference between one off specials and the sort of robust timetabling and operation required for daily services.


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  17. Chufferpuff

    Chufferpuff New Member

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    More "old news" on the History site this morning I see
     
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  18. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    You mean the BBC? Never watch it anymore.;)
     
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  19. Colin Allcars

    Colin Allcars Member

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    upload_2017-11-30_11-6-47.png
    Just passed through CH.
     
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  20. Forestpines

    Forestpines Well-Known Member

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    As you mention it: the new West Midlands franchisee intends to open a new station on the SVR and extend their Kidderminster terminators to it.
     
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