Winners & Losers in 2014

It doesn't look like anyone has started this topic for last year so he goes:

Swanage Railway - 216,267 in 280 operating days to 31st December 2014 [210,984 in 269 days during 2013 and 191,441 in 277 days during 2012]. SR has scheduled 269 days during 2015.

West Somerset Railway achieved 195,212 during 2014 [197,654 in 2013]. WSR figures were drastically reduced during Winter storms and the long-term aftermath problems suffered widely in South West tourism during last Spring.

 

Looks like Gloucs & Warks has had a good 2014 too as " ... 'Santa Specials' magnificently broke all records with more than 9,300 people carried ..." helping them to reach "around 85,000 people travelling." according to: http://www.gwsr.com/news/latest-new...he-gloucestershire-warwickshire-railway!.aspx

 

Given the variables, and the logistics you are right, we do get a lot of mainline steam. I regularly get comments on my channel from enthusiasts outside the UK wishing they lived here or could get here regularly. And on the whole you have more chance of getting the steam power you booked than not.

Comparing mainline to heritage is not in the same ball park. Yes you are almost guaranteed to get steam at some point, but its slow steam and to somewhere not far away from where you started steam.

 

It astounds me that a 12 mile railway that carries 85,000 in a good year is looking to expand. In fact I am surprised they even make a profit. It must have lots of well wishers as their development and facilities do not reflect their patronage.

Don't get me wrong, it is a clean, well organised railway with excellent facilities, I love it, infact envious, if only we could have some of what they have got at Swanage.

But as a business, I would be worried.

 

I think the company runs at a profit nudging 3 figures IIRC, and we do have a large number of well wishers. Our paintshop was mostly funded by a bequest, and because we get on with things, people see where their money goes, rather than wondering what happened to it. I have to say though, beyond Broadway I will always be skeptical of further expansion unless passenger numbers significantly increase.

 

The Kent & East Sussex Railway/Rother Valley Robertsbridge-Bodiam link will be the extension to watch as the best guide as to whether Broadway to Honeybourne could be viable. There are some obvious parallels: both are about three miles long with a Network Rail station in a fairly small place (well, compared with East Grinstead or Kidderminster) at one end and a poplar tourist attraction at the other end. I have read on this forum that one or two people invovled in the Robertsbridge project fear that the reopened section will become the busiest bit of the line at the expense of Bodiam-Tenterden. Obviously, there is a bit of a difference between the two lines here, as there is nowhere between Bodiam and Tenterden nearly as big or touristy (if that is the right word) as Winchcombe. If you think Winchcombe station is badly situated for the village, try Wittersham Road - it's in the middle of nowhere! Conversely, however, Bodiam station is better situated for the castle than Broadway is for the village. Steam Railway quoted someone saying that they were aiming for Robertsbridge-Bodiam reopening in 2018 - a year after Broadway reopens, so there will be plenty of opportunity for the GWSR to study how sucessful that extension is proving before thinking about Honeybourne - especially if there is now talk of trying to get a bit nearer Cheltenham town centre first.

 

Personally, the closer a heritage railway gets to a national rail connection, the more I support and visit it. I know I'm not very representative, having no car and priv travel, and being a bit concerned about whether connecting buses will show up etc. but on the other hand people like me are maybe disproportionately likely to visit heritage railways... Another thing to note is that the number of young people with no cars is apparently increasing, and the number of national rail network journeys is constantly increasing; I think the importance of a national rail connection for heritage railways may be increasing.

In the particular case of the GWSR, I also think that posh London area racegoers would fairly regularly pay a huge amount to arrive at Cheltenham Racecourse in their private compartment or a Pullman type coach on a steam service (even if it took a long time and had to reverse at Honeybourne). I reckon this could become a big kudos thing for rich 'ladies and gentlemen of the city' whose regular huge wads of money would justify the Honeybourne extension alone.

 

Reported profit is not necessarily a good measure of a preserved lines viability as it can be manipulated quite easily by, for example, deferring maintenance.

 

True, but we did spend a similar amount on unexpected embankment repairs last year, and I think we overspent elsewhere too.

 

Thing is, Gold cup week (which is the one which attracts the crowds) is only 1 week per year, the rest of the year it probably wouldn't be used much. I think currently it is beyond the means of the railway alone to finance such a thing. If the council and the racecourse were to help, that might change things...

What is most frustrating is that our chosen line is too long! when the group started, Toddington was the only viable option with some of the buildings surviving. Northwards at the time there was another group so South it was, now we're the middle section of a railway with an expensive mainline connection either end just too far out of reach.

 

Yes, but the races only happen for a few days each year

 

As I understand the GWR is still virtually all volunteers so the figure need to break even is far lower than for example the SVR which has full time staff to pay.
Also this means they do not operate on so many days as other so the figure is going to be lower but there costs are lower in fuel and maintenance.

 

What does Swanage do to beat the WSR figures on a much shorter line?

 

I think you may have just answered your own question there.
Whilst passenger numbers are one measure (and well done Swanage in 2014) they are not a reliable measure of ongoing viability which is quite a complex matter requiring proper policies and allowances for maintenance & replacement in addition to the more obvious immediate costs.

 

It would be interesting to know how many of the Swanage passengers use it primarily as a park and ride service,which I don't think many would use the WSR for. Although I stand to be corrected.

 

Well I'll re=phrase then. How do Swanage get more passengers than the WSR...both have the sea at the far end and park and ride at the near end (well that's how I visit the WSR anyway!) The WSR is probably closer to the Motorway although a little further from London.

 

Because visitors are encouraged to use the "Park and Ride" facility before entering Swanage. I travel by car to Corfe Castle because my National Trust membership gives me parking concessions there but if not an NT member I would follow the signs and look to travel in by train. My experience of the train times was that they are reasonable and the DMU service in the evening still allowed for a later departure.
IMHO opinion the WSR attracts visitors to the railway whilst the Swanage operation attracts visitors to the town, some of whom may be interested in the railway; that difference in marketing plus the active support of the local council makes all the difference. This is not to say that the WSR's local council is unsupportive but it's support is less pro-active I think as it seeks to protect WSR interests whilst the Swanage area councils actively involve themselves in SR operations.

 

but it's the same at the WSR...parking at Bishop's Lyd and train then to the sea.