West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The figure includes adults, children, families, discounts for local residents/support organisations and shareholders travelling on passes - all shareholders with a minimum holding get 2 vouchers per year and larger holders get a pass for 2 or 4 passengers for free travel. Also, there are a considerable number of passengers who do not travel the full length - all of which reduces the "price per passenger"

 

OK well that makes non-ticket spend look a bit better, but the overall picture possibly worse.

 

I think the issue is that people will donate to things that are seen as a "project" or to cover damage from Acts of God (include pandemic in that).
This is pretty similar to "real life" where after 9/11 many of us took a 20% pay cut or six months unpaid leave to overcome an issue which had aa stated plan of how our "sacrifice " would be rewarded. (Route cuts, aircraft stand downs, delayed deliveries etc) leading hopefully to us keeping jobs.
What I see with the WSR appeal is a request for money to cover the day to day operating costs but with no plan (at least shared) going forward on how the savings will be made to ensure the operation is viable on an ongoing basis. Or is the plan just to keep asking for money on an annual basis to cover the costs of the operation?
On that basis why should I spend my railway support money here?

 

Yes that does pretty much seem to be the plan.

 

To those reasons I'd add a practical and achievable business plan and actions to give supporters reason to have confidence in the board actually following that plan through rather than suddenly deciding it is "...too expensive..." or "...too difficult..." or "...not appropriate at the current time to..." and then doing nothing (as per usual).

 

I think last year many of us were prepared to dig deep to help the railways and groups we are close to survive. In part this was because i) we didn't know how long total lockdown would last or ii) what support if any would be available from government for heritage railways, iii) because lockdown was very sudden so lines had little time to plan for contingency measures.

A year later it is harder to argue a 'give us your money or we will die' campaign to pay basic costs given that i) many lines are operating in some form ii) many lines have shown themselves to be agile and adaptive to the 'new normal', iii) we have seen extensive government support in England (less so in Wales) - furlough and CRF, iv) railways knew that restrictions were going to continue and had time to plan and adapt.

Moreover, unlike Covid or 9/11 which is something that was outside of the control of railways, it is impossible to argue that Seaward Way and the inability to run the length of the line was outside of the control of the WSR. Likewise, the eviction of the S&DRT was unnecessary, vindictive and a decision for which the WSR PLC was entirely responsible. Furthermore, whether you agree or not with the actions of the volunteers who sought to become trustees of the WSSRT, fundamentally, you are asking volunteers to support action against other volunteers. You just don't do that. I might not like other volunteers, I might not agree with other volunteers, I might find their attitudes deplorable, their behaviour annoying, however, disliking someone is not an acceptable reason for denying someone the pleasure and enjoyment of volunteering, and moreover, the WSR can not spend a five figure sum of money on lawyers persecuting volunteers, and then turn around and say 'we have no money, give us some money or we will die.'

I really do hope that those people who were calling for the removal of the cards of the 14 are proud of themselves and how their craving for a public punishment beating has resulted in a situation where potential donor after potential donor is telling the WSR to jog on. Well done.

 

The way this whole sorry sager is being dragged out I really hope the railway and heritage industry is put out its misery soon, you wouldn't let an animal suffer.

 

It's amazing what railways can earn by asking that question, but wrapping it up as membership.

 

"We didn't see Covid coming"-Of course you didn't, no-one did.
"We didn't see 9-11 coming"- Of course you didn't, no British civilians did.
A lot of us did see the current plight of the WSR coming. It has been mentioned in these pages quite a few times, but the chairman knew better

 

Sadly these days, passengers at Minehead don't see the train coming either

 

I think if you're waiting for a practical and achievable business plan, you could be waiting a while. The last business plan was published in 2017? It was a work of fiction. A bit like Boris. But he's good at calling up the TV crews and crying the crocodile tears when the chips are down, and some people (quite a lot of people it seems) are taken in by the bluster and the emotion. And apparently he's the "only show in town", remember that expression folks....

 

'Hand over the money and then go away (and leave us alone)!'

Noel

 

If that is the impression left 3000 miles away, what impression must there be 50 miles away?

 

Repeat as necessary ad infinitum :-(

 

What is this million for?
Thought they already ran an Emergency Funding Appeal last year.

What happened to that money?

 

You've asked the $64,000 (or £1m?) question.

If a reasonable answer to that question was forthcoming from the plc, the appeal might have raised a little more than the £13k or whatever it has so far achieved

 

It seems pretty likely the total sum raised so far does not exceed the money spent on legal fees trying to banish volunteers who disagree with you. When it's put like that, it's hard to argue against the board needing to have a major rethink as to their priorities, and if they're incapable of doing that, major change to the board itself.

 

Not legal fees. That’s an insult to the legal profession. Rather fees of the least competent Human Resources consultants I have encountered in 26 years of employment law practice.

 

Is that what the Million pounds is needed for, to pay for the damages and costs that may arise when said consultants advise lands the WSR with huge legal bills .

 

I guess that means they are right at home working with the board then. Do you think they used the same selection skills as they have done to fill board vacancies? Governance? - What Governance???

Not legal fees. That’s an insult to the legal profession...

Quite agree... they are much too low to be legal fees