Project Wareham

Perhaps because, unlike Studland (just north of Swanage) if you go 'tackle out' on Bournemouth Beach, you get arrested and put on a register?

 

Er ,that's a bit like "the day we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head "

 

I think anyone who think that the DfT may throw any money at the branch may want to bear in mind that Skelmersdale (pop 38000) has just had a station refused by the DfT despite the local council having purchased a site for it.

 

[Deleted]

 

I think I may have stumbled on the rationale currently being imposed on DafT:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lancashire_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

 

“Trading conditions during 2022 are very unpredictable because they are being heavily affected by significant prices rises being borne by our customers"
The next 6 weeks are going to be a critical peak time for the SR if it breaks even or has to do another appeal.
If all goes well and revenue is good, then looks like the Project Wareham trial is on for 2023.
Will also depend on the SWR mainline getting back to capacity and SWR advertising and offering special daytrip fares.

Unlike Skelmersdale railway station which needs millions, the track infrastructure to Wareham is in place. The main line train operating licence application is close to progressing. The refurbished DMU has been running the last few weeks by volunteers without problems, so in 2023 can take the place of the WCR service on the 2017 trial.

 

You've made several assumptions in your posting and I'm not sure that all of them are necessarily based on any facts.

 

The press release was both optimistic and pessimistic depending on conditions, hope the Summer conditions are good for the SR, support from SWR will also be important and not sure how it is doing this year. Last year passenger levels was down three quarters so may be more normal now.

 

That so of misses the whole argument of those that seem to think if it is shown not to be viable from the trial there are those willing (and with the money), to step in. If so I venture it will not be the DfT via one of their TOC's.

 

Maybe there's an old guy somewhere with a huge legacy he's just itching to leave to the railway. In Canada, perhaps?

 

Can you imagine the ridiculous list of caveats it would come with though….

 

Oh no! That could start a whole new thread!

 

The grants given so far do not need to be paid back, so if the 2023 trial makes an operating surplus with the DMU and volunteers, then could be a regular service each year if SWR promote it on the mainline.

What the SR press release does not detail is all the costs, Swanning Around added
"A press release with a statement from the chairman about business prospects and priorities is included in full in this issue. The most noticeable, to some, is the deferment of the Wareham trial service to 2023, as the business conditions are uncertain. This is a big decision, and what the statement doesn’t mention is that the insurance premium before we even roll a wheel is about £60,000. In the current financial climate, that’s a lot of investment up front with uncertain payback"
It could be just the most expensive insurance quote, or a one off which could last several years?

What's missing so far is publication of the updated business case with detailed costing. The SR got a government grant of £50k for this.
The SR is under no obligation to publish the updated case, and the next statement if the 2023 trial will proceed or not might not be published till March?

But would be good for the SR and the Purbeck community rail partnership to do a public project Wareham update sometime in 2022, maybe September when the summer passenger numbers will be available.

 

The question is.will the class 33 now operating with snow plows(Think 32 deg C!) be sufficient to clear the track in 2023. I am sure that one of the northern HR or even NR can loan us a big one to clear away these molehills which keep popping up
Railwayacs tend to be perhaps a little obsessive about their particular "railway(s) in aspic" However,and far from being a news junky as 1 approach four decades,what is assailing our wits every day?
Congestion(see Bournemouth echo and the chaos this last weekend) Dire warnings from the Berlin climate conference on where we are headed. Isn't the proof all around you ?
One would hope that parochialism will give way to a common effort to address these co-related problems. Transport'Congestion; Pollution Climate.
..and the solution in Dorset?
a "trial service" operated by a superannuated DMU(!) whereas a more modern solution would demonstrate that all parties involved are serious about addressing the issues,and making Project Wareham perhaps a showcase for some innovative engineering
Oliver Bulleid was an engineer who looked outside conventional parameters. Not that everything that he introduced turned out to be a success. but his efforts for CHANGE still endure among lovers of Railways
Is anyone at NR,SR and DC ready to advocate for meaningful solutions?

 

YesThe first one would be operating a modern battery electric or hybrid unit to demonstrate that all parties involved are serious about issues that stretch far,far beyond Purbeck

 

What have you been drinking, eating and/or taking? I would like to avoid it, since it appears to be hazardous to health.

 

I repeat my previous question, which you continue to ignore. Are you supporting preservation of a heritage railway, or trying to convert the Swanage Railway into a public service railway? I'm really rather confused about what outcome you want.

 

NR and the TOC's are run by the DfT (TOC's under management contracts). They are the paymaster generals and are cutting back on the money being spent on the national railway. You are I assume aware that there is currently industrial relation issues throughout the UK rail network on both TOC and NR sides and not only for pay (which the British media will lead you to believe). All is not well in GB Rail.

Yes, there are proposals to reopen lines but how many of those will actually come to fruition? Many of these proposals are either over current NR owned infrastructure or will possibly require compulsory purchase orders to come to fruition. SR is completely different as it is already in situ and a successful HR providing a tourist attraction to the area, adding to the Purbeck GDP. It operates under a LRO which to make it time comparable to other forms of transport would need to be changed and with that bring in a whole raft of changes to the set up which will kill off the Heritage Railway that it is today. There are no molehills in Norden, well none trackside anyway. They are challenges and issues that are caused when legislation for the national network and heritage lines don't just "not fit" but collide head on.

I don't believe that there is anyone who wouldn't like to see the SR link up successfully to the national network and make a tidy profit from it but there lies the biggest issue. Without changing the very fabric of the HR setup, the risks are extremely high and in the current financial crisis, could be catastrophic to the SR.

I'm sure that I'm typing all this for my own amusement, as you cannot reason with those that refuse to acknowledge sage advice from those in the know and are blinkered to the financial state this country is in.

Now, where's that ignore button?

 

So in your own post #1303 you say the 19881 document says
To rebuild the link to Wareham and operate a DMU service connecting to the main line.


Makes no mention of "battery electric or hybrid".

So why is it the SR must stick to a 1981 document, with the exception of the parts you feel like changing, but they can't regardless of economic circumstances?

Based on your past responses (or lack of!) we will never know of course.

 

I sometimes wonder if he will ever STFU! Imagine having to live or work with somebody like that!