West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The DMU used to do that on some timetables running toWatchet offering an hourly Minehead to Watchet service

 

Thanks for that info. In other circumstances, one might look to the WSRA or the WSRHT to launch an appeal to fund the purchase of the shed and track at Washford. But in present circumstances, that might not be a realistic option.

I am aware that effect was seen last year on the AVR, where the tradition was for morning trains to be much more heavily loaded but pre-booking spread passengers more evenly across the day.

 

Even though the lines closed the SVR is doing something that pays the bills with the likes of 70000 running in then there’s the possibility of a certain A4 running in later in the year, there’s a few other projects involving the mainline connection, to help fill the funding gap.
What are those in charge at Minehead doing?

 

This year, though we don't know what the season is going to be like, cost of living rises, gas etc, is going to hit a lot of peoples pockets, and if people are scared to spend, they will want value for money I'm afraid a train ride isn't going to be high up on their agenda, we might see a lot of people deciding to stay in the UK, If Covid is still seen as a problem, So having a late first train from Minehead, might see potential customers deciding to go elsewhere. whats likily to be more inviting to the public,? an hourly shorter service, that connects with another, or services thatdo the whole line, but means you can only really run

 

No worries, apology not really necessary but accepted anyway, and I like your latest.

 

The problem I perceive with the WSR is that it is similar in a way to Swanage in having a parallel bus route. In the WSR's case it is a route than runs twice as often as the 40 does between Swanage and Corfe or Wareham and also starts from Minehead's biggest accomodation point Butlins, and takes 1 hr 24 minutes to Taunton Bus Station. If you take the train the journey time to Bishops Lydeard is 1 hr 25 minutes then you still have to get the bus to Taunton, because unless you are just riding the train BL town offers little as a destination. Bus fare is £13 for a Somerset bus rover or £26 for a family (2 adults and any number of kids). The WSR is £30 for a rover or £75 for a family (2 adults or two children). No mention of any single or round trip fares that I could see.
Now I am not saying the WSR fares are too high, (as on the thread about pricing I said I feel some Heritage Lines do not change enough), but unless you only want a train ride the only places the WSR goes that the bus does not is Stogumber, Crowcombe and Donniford Halt .
I guess there are other lines in this position, but probably not with a 30 minute interval competing bus service.
Remember this is not about enthusiasts wanting a train ride, steam or diesel, but Joe Public, whom I agree may well be suffering financially this year putting their hand in their pocket. £26 versus £75 is a big ask for the better experience of a ride, but maybe less convenient. Of course on a red timetable day a rover is a return trip only of you start from Minehead.

 

As usual Ian speaks from much experience of the line. I might just chip in a little from my experience of ten years in the Minehead Booking Office. I agree that loadings from Minehead have lagged behind those from BL, but quibble very slightly about whether the have always been light for the first departure. In the summer, pre-covid, it was quite usual for there to be a long queue for tickets on 1015 mid-week trains, necessitating two booking office clerks for the first departure, whilst for most other departures during the season a single clerk could usually cope. I was always surprised how much lower the Sunday ticket sales were, and came to the conclusion [perception rather than research] that visitors coming for the week, for example at Butlins, would arrive on Friday or Saturday, would spend the weekend weighing up their options, and by the middle of the week were ready to try activities from lower down their bucket list. This would include those who had not realised there was a railway until they arrived. A lie in and late breakfast on Sunday mornings [the morning after the night before!] probably had a considerable effect too. All of this of course is reflected in the 2022 yellow timetable operating mid-week in August.

 

Perhaps it's a good job you're not running a railway.

 

The SVR's CBILS loan was £1.5m plus interest over 5 years' repayment. Just for accuracy both £28k and £30k have been mentioned as the monthly repayments.

For info., WSR's accounts say their CBILS loan was £200,000 repayable from August 2021 with interest at 3.6%.

 

To make those figure comparable, you would have to know how many other loans the respective railways are paying off.

 

Very good point that thinning what was already a limited service limits how long you may have to do anything at a stop and return. No help in uncertain weather, at best minimises the opportunities.

 

That split of steam and diesel is exactly what we did to get out of the bankrupcy situation of the W.S.R. in the early eighties.
It meant reduced income but turned a loss into a profit. However I am not suggesting this as I am not in possession of the financial statistics of the present day running.

 

The WSR is not likely to change though is it? It's a 20 mile journey to the seaside. Trains off BL will always be busier in the morning than the afternoon. Bitton is a round trip of a few miles. Compare AVR to Gwili or ESR. Compare WSR to NYMR or Dartmouth.

 

I doubt there are many people that take the train to Butlins, other than those that do it because they really want to go on a steam train there anyway. No doubt that was why BR closed the line less than 10 years after Billy showed up.

 

The point I was making was that the SVR have additional spend compared to 2019, and are running less trains.

 

I was not talking about people taking the train to Butlins but from it as a day out!

 

Apologises !

 

That really goes to the nub of the problem though. From a marketing perspective, for the bulk of summer passengers, it's not so much a 20 mile trip to the seaside being sold, as a 40 mile round trip from the seaside. Absolutely superb for a dining service, where customers appreciate the time for a leisurely meal. Perhaps less so for the family with three anklebiters and beloved old incontinent family dog in tow.