Swanage Railway General Discussion

From
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-35234411
The intention was to run the DMU 60 day service in 2015, but the refurbishment was running late.
By 2017 the DMU was still not ready so they decided to rent stock from WCR and London Underground. It's not clear what the rental was?. If the DMU had been ready in 2015 and the SR used volunteers rather than WCR staff, the service may have been viable?

 

Good job however no Wareham service was planned for today with a track service failure on the single line section between Moreton & Dorch South leading to chaos. RTT makes interesting reading, especially the train from Wool that spent 20 minutes at Wareham and then departed 3 minutes early?
Still it will keep the delay repay department at SWR busy.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...21-10-30/0600-2000?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

The figure I heard was £3000 a day to WCRC to run the service, and £100 a day to LT museum for hire of stock.

 

Any chance the conversation will ever not be about bloody Wareham?

 

No,because historically a lot of people put a lot of time. and money into saving the trackbed so that the service to Wareham could happen. Keep the pressure on the local pols and yes,the "world ends at Norden bunch "as well and fulfill the aspirations of the pioneers. There will never be a better time than now!!

 

I not saying its shouldn't happen, but I come on here to see of there any news on the line, and it gets annoying when conversation its about the just the one element: WhY HAsn'T ThE ServICE STarTeD yEt?

 

Makes a change from gala wibble about Lady Of Legend I guess.

 

Rest assured I won't be the only one keeping an eye out for any updates on No.563!

 

There are several Facebook groups to check where updates are made.
Today there was actually a kind of good news update on Wareham!
"Swanage Railway
We’re making steady progress towards the return of public services to Wareham but it’s still too early to provide exact dates for their return. Stay tuned to our social media channels for the latest info!"

 

Hardly that much news; even I asked on one page anyone if they heard if work had restarted on the N or is still the same state since the start of the year; no one bothered with a response

There hasn't been been a new article on the SR staff page for a month either

 

Arrived at Swanage Station about 10.45am today (Sunday 31st) to get annual seasons for me & middle son(13)

The god news was that we seemed to have chosen the only route to Swanage without trees on the road, although there was a lot of water and the Blandford to Poole road was closed beyond the Wareham turning.

I also attempted to get one for the Invisible Man but the booking Clerk could not take a photo.

The pictures on our cards are wonderfully awful!

Anyway we were made most welcome , waiting for the train to arrive and - no, not a 33, it was the DMU

We had a great trip to Norden behind the driver, getting off at Corfe on the way back. It was very much a recreation of my well spent youth, except for being clean and the noises for door locking & guards buzzer which are all new.

Alas the catering truck was closed

The Steam service was hauled by a Standard 4 tank (80050?) steam heat was on which isnt something you see often these days and our wood panelled MK1 was well presented internally.

Our annual tickets - apart from being a very attractive offer are a sign of my confidence in the line - which is why I wont be buying WSR annual passes.

 

80078 was the Standard tank, a not very good picture of the last service before the Christmas trains attached.
Glad you got seasons as the website (and my Dad when he tried to renew his) was told on line applications only.

 

I asked about how to buy in advance, I believe at one stage they were in person only.

I was told all I needed was me and money!

 

I hope that all who wished to buy the annual season ticket have done so because the following announcement from SR has appeared:

FARES CHANGES From the 1st November, the following changes apply. • 3 Day Tickets are discontinued. • 5 Day Tickets are discontinued. • Adult Season Ticket increase from £69.00 to £99.00. • Child Season Ticket increases from £49.00 to £49.50.

I wonder what next years standard fares will be and what the price of a round trip to Wareham will be?

 

I expect if most visitors are coming from SWR stations with an SWR ticket changing at Wareham for the DMU shuttle to Corfe Castle, will be about £6 return extra on the SWR return ticket. (say the difference in the extra SWR price to Dorchester).
SWR will pay this to the SR for the DMU shuttle service.

If visitors want to travel further on the steam trains to Swanage there might be a combined ticket price offer which may lower than the SR stand fare return of £16 (2021)

If the 31806/33 combo with MK1 mainline certified coaches occasional run from Wareham to Swanage return, could be £16 plus £6, although might also be a special price, but a bit more than the DMU price?

Hopefully as SWR want to boost leisure/tourist travel there will be offers?
However taking traffic of the roads will help with the environment.

 

You will have to explain the basis of this statement to me please.

 

Although I did not renew my season this year due to Covid concerns even at £69 I thought it was really to cheap.Only just over the cost of 4 return trips.
If the day rover is £20 ( I suspect more in 2022) that is only 5 days to get cover the cost.

 

To add (assuming SR get the Wareham to Corfe service going and costs are good in the business case, where currently there is no news)
I expect most visitors for the Wareham to Corfe service are coming from SWR stations with an SWR ticket, changing at Wareham, and Corfe as a destination has been added to the SWR ticketing system.
To estimate the cost of travelling on the SR DMU looking at SWR standard costs, it would be an estimated £6 return extra from Wareham to Corfe (might be more or less but sounds about right for a DMU rather than steam journey).
As it will be part of the SWR ticket cost, SWR will pay an amount to the SR for the DMU shuttle service.
Hope that makes sense?

 

Not sure it can be quite as simple as that because the SWR and SR fare structures are incompatible.
For example SWR fares give railcard (of the many types) holder discounts, SWR fares allow "period returns" whereas SR does not accept national railcards and only allows day returns.
SR would have to provide SWR with an add on fare rate for the Wareham <> Corfe Castle portion of the journey that was effectively a flat fare (adults and childrens' only single and day return no railcard holder discount etc).
When one looks at the total cost of providing the service between Wareham <> Corfe Castle (including for example the mainline insurance premium) the total revenue earned may not cover those costs.

Assuming that SR put their Swanage <> Corfe Castle Adult Return fare up for 2022 (based on the announcement earlier today) to say £17 then that will make the Wareham <> Swanage Adult Day Return Fare £23.

IMHO that may be above the level that a significant number of customers may be prepared to pay.