SVR Spring Gala - April 16th-19th

Senior citizens make up a large proportion of heritage railway visitors both for standard running days and galas. Note a headline from the BBC this morning.

''Action to isolate the UK's over-70s for an extended period to shield them from coronavirus is planned in the coming weeks, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed''.

This is not good for any of our preserved railways. <BJ>

 

Given the high costs of visiting locos and the risks of a smaller attendance the kind of scaling back seen with the NNR gala might be the best way for all railways to go at the moment. The thread on here which asks about posters scaling back gala attendance suggests a fairly even split (in an admittedly small sample) between reducing attendances and carrying on as usual.

 

Commuting is already being curtailed, massively so. Firms are expecting people to work from home where possible, trains are running very empty. The PM asked, in the way that says if you don’t do it we’ll make you, for people to not gather in social settings. That has to put doubt on events like this.

The other side is transmission. The virus can be transmitted before anyone is aware they’ve got it; a full carriage (which may just mean most seats taken in an open, I’m not so sure about compartment stock) is a good place for transmission - even more so if you think about the ability of the virus to survive on surfaces.


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The SVR has suspended services for the next two weeks. It will advise on April's services including the gala in the forthcoming days.

 

Can't see the gala going ahead, a lot of railways are saying they are shut until May.

SVR can't hire 3 locos for it not to go ahead.

Really gutting as was looking forward to the new date, hope its something that can be kept for next year.

 

Just received an email from the SVR advising that the spring gala has been cancelled.