Recommissioning after Coronavirus

The SVR has suspended services till further notice as a result of the increase in restrictions. While Worcestershire/Shropshire/Herefordshire are tier 3, Brum and the Black Country are now Tier 4.

 

eventually, I think everywhere is going to have to be tier 4, because of the new strain, and its more prevalent spread, until the roll out of the vaccination programme is complete and everyone has been inoculated against Covid, but that's going to take much of 2021 we might get lucky and see limited relaxations in time for summer, but very much along the lines of what was possible this year,

 

Being responsible. My personal plan is to prioritise visits to railways that I feel have acted appropriately during the pandemic once we are in a position to do so.

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I'm slightly hopefully that next year will be better, but it's not exactly hard. At least places have gained experience in how to deal with things from this year.

 

Avon Valley is in South Glos, or at least Bitton and Oldland Common are.

 

... but Avon Riverside is just in B&NES as the boundary is down the middle of the river.

 

What I've been doing is joining the societies or groups on lines that I think have acted appropriately. My thinking is that cash now is probably what is best to help see the lines through the tough period to reopening.

 

Well, I've just renewed my NVR membership for another year.

 

Going on that basis then, are there any railways you don’t feel have acted appropriately?
I would of thought they all have ?

 

Speaking personally, I feel that railways operating in a Tier 3 area have been pushing the law to the very limit, and that is not something I feel should be rewarded in a public health crisis.

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Can you really blame them given that they need as much financial income as they can get? As long as they are doing everything they can from their perspectice to ensure social distancing is maintained, cleaning carriages between trips etc, I fail to see the issue. As far as I am aware they have not broken the law.

 

Decided to delete my initial response as I don't want to get into legal discussions here. Suffice to say though that indoor visitor attractions are required to close in Tier 3.

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If they can operate within the law then why not ? Visitors can choose to visit or not.

 

It is often possible to act strictly within the terms of the law but many might view that the person is outside the spirit and purpose of the law. Doing the latter whilst not strictly breaking the law. If as an organisation you rely on good will and support of people, funding bodies etc some might take the view that it might not be worth trying to explore where the boundaries cross over. With the large amount of public funding and support given to heritage railways in England I think I would be taking a very cautious position and look to be seen as being whiter than white on the matter rather trying to push boundaries as to what is or is not allowable.

 

My point is this - as I am unable to visit lines the next best thing IMO is to join the society - most cost around the same amount as a trip.

There are more lines than I have money to support, so there has to be some focussing of where I donate to. In general I look at where support can keep paid staff in a job and beyond that I tend to look at smaller lines/groups simply because more press and attention will go to 'sexy' projects/lines.

But in answer to your question the answer is yes.

I try to spend ethically ie not buying fruit from South Africa (during Apartheid) or from companies that exploit their workers, treat people badly etc etc, the same principle goes for supporting heritage railways.

The behaviour of the WSR's management has been inappropriate on a number of issues and at a number of levels. So hence, no financial support from me. Likewise, PR.

 

I totally agree with your last paragraph, I will not support the WSR nor LR either.

 

Peraonally I don’t agree that public money, other than lottery money should be given to heritage railways.

I know usually they enable the local economy to growth, provide jobs etc - but unless they can turn a profit and be run like a business they are effectively private public funds sapping train sets.

 

Profit is in some respects a meaningless quantity in heritage railways, but other than the worst pandemic the world has seen for 100 years, no railways have needed public money just to stay afloat AFAIK, which suggests to me that they are all viable businesses in normal times. So I don't see the problem.

 

Without large sums of public funds the WSR & LR would be on the very edge of going under in 2020 even without C19.

Wasn’t it one of the narrow gauge Welsh railways who where moaning about only getting a fraction of the money they needed due to Dripfords iron fist approach to the virus?

 

That is only 2 heritage railways, hardly a reason to say no heritage railways should receive the money. I will admit I raised an eyebrow when I saw how much the WSR got.

And? I don't see how that's any different to any other viable business complaining that the amount of money the government has granted them to cover losses in an exceptional year has been insufficient. If the largest heritage railways in England can receive getting on for a million pounds, then it seems reasonable for a similarly sized heritage railway in Wales to get a similar amount. I don't know the ins and outs and how reasonable a demand it truly is, but either way I don't see what point you're trying to make, your original premise was that public money shouldn't be propping up unviable businesses like heritage railways. I pointed out that few heritage railways are unviable, as proved by their continued existence.