Swanage Railway General Discussion

Spot on!

 

May well have been true (or not) at the time, but things change. I suspect these are the same people who regularly tell me fares are too expensive (should be around £5) and there should be a residents discount off that.
Perception does not make it right, when we moved here from London I was staggered how expensive bus fares were compared to London (where I paid nothing of course then anyway due to 24 hour Freedom Passes). But that is what they cost and you just have to suck it up.
@21B is correct it needs to be explained to the masses, my worry is they do not want to hear or accept the truth.
Heritage Railways to many means a heritage fare as well it seems.

 

The masses may or may not want to hear or accept the truth but at least SRT SRC would have placed it on record.

Clarity on Wareham and the importance of SR to the local economy could play a crucial role in generating donations as well as giving Swanage Railway a fresh start in how the railway is perceived. Having to bang the drum repeatedly for donations can result in criticism which in turn can cause donor fatigue and apathy.

I would be more circumspect in highlighting the role that sr plays in removing traffic from the roads during the summer peak as that unfortunately invites the criticism of "if only the fares were cheaper then more passengers would use it and more traffic could be taken off the roads". SRC will never win the fares argument so it is best to not encourage that debate.

 

Sorry but am I understanding you correctly a 45 minute service interval is too long and should be increased? Disregarding all the later valid posts about line speed and pathing which Heritage Line has a service pattern on a non gala or event day of less than 45 minutes, I am not aware of one. I ask because I am trying to understand what evidence you are basing your claim on that this generates more traffic.

 

Of course the sun of most of the day had been lost to the cloud by the time of the first P.E. trip steam leg.
So this image is a little on the dark side. The 33 only sounded on tick over as it came past so I guess that makes the train about load 9. Anyway I felt it was worth a walk out on the common, although an emission control fault light appeared on the car on the way back, so not sure if I will be getting anymore until after its booked service on the 29th.

 

If we are going to discuss Project Wareham on here, Doesn't it have it's own dedicated thread?

 

If Norden park and ride was a desolate featureless wasteland of a station, I could understand waiting 44 minutes for the next train would put people off.
But there are things to do, it's part of the attraction.
Play park, mining museum, nature walk, the station itself with buffet (when open, more volunteers required) and small book library to browse.
It's invariably always staffed some a human to give you correct information, why wouldn't you want to spend time there, as I said earlier, it's part of the experience that your paying for.

 

True but it can be a bit miserable if it is raining and / or windy with limited undercover waiting area. Passengers do not seem to wish to stray too far from the platform rather than visit the PMMM etc. There was a plan a few years ago to provide a modular canopy that could be extended as funds permitted.

Key to overcoming the perception that fares are expensive is the promotion of all the ancillary attractions / activities that are free of charge. The timetable leaflet listed those attractions and I am sure helped build the experience.

 

Interesting to see the Feb half term 2024 timetable is out. Going back the the traditional BLUE timetable with 6 services through the day, ending the post covid reduction to 5 with bigger gaps

 

Perhaps a realisation that they can’t continue to blame covid, and inconvenient timings and frequencies might be a factor in the fall in passenger numbers.

 

Higher fares, inferior product offering and less marketing.

We know why those decisions were taken but the outcome has, sadly, been very harmful to Swanage Railway.

On its own, any one of those decisions may have had the desired result without compromising revenue but together they have created a perfect storm.

Hopefully the new approach suggested at the AGM and subsequently in Swanning Around will have a hugely beneficial effect.

 

Inferior product? Please explain.
The staff both volunteers and paid work hard to present the railway at its best to the public.
Are you suggesting from your post that some memo went out early this year from the board to undersell the railway?

 

Some videos have appeared on Facebook of the Swanage Polar Express by "Everything Mummy", if this link works?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/314956504621364
Also by the Bournemouth Daily Echo

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1041032140278902

Managed to watch the Warner Bros film again (after a few years) on Now/Sky Cinema and seems to match the atmosphere of the film, so should go down well with children.
Hopefully should help SR's finances?.

 

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23931533.great-dorset-steam-fair-wont-returning-2024/
Sadly no Great Dorset Steam Fair in 2024, might return 2025?
But SR's Road to Rail Steam event is going ahead 28th Jun - 30th Jun 2024, making good use of the land near Norden/Purbeck Park station.
Maybe the Mining Museum can get a loan of a narrow gauge steam loco this year. Perhaps "Emmet" which has links to the line and last visited 2013?

 

Fewer services (with a less even headway) , fewer operating days, and greater use of diesel traction is an inferior product to that previously offered.
No one is questioning the hard work of both volunteers and paid staff to present the railway at its best to the public and we know from posts on social media just how much customers do enjoy the railway - especially some of staff: customer interactions - when they travel on the railway.
The customer experience is made up of many elements but to give the customers the experience they have to be attracted to the railway in the first place. That means marketing (encouraging people to visit the railway and highlighting what SR offers) but also making sure that the offer is what appeals to them and we know that steam sells and having a frequent service encourages patronage.
There is no suggestion that the board issued a memo to undersell the railway. The announcement at the AGM suggested that the railway would operate in a more commercial manner which suggests that a priority would be improving the customer experience and IMHO that means a frequent service with an even headway and steam operated. In other words doing the stuff we used to do and doing it well (as we always do).

 

Regarding Polar Express on railway revenues.
I think, like some [most ?] railways, that the Warner Brothers franchisees sell the tickets, pays all the staff [and supply their uniforms] and for all the other expenses [On-train and station plus lineside Christmas decorations, sound and lighting systems, hot chocolate & cookies, etc., etc.]. I have noticed the amount of work [by the franchisee's contractors] that's gone into just transforming Swanage Station which took many long days. The franchisee also hires the railway's locos and coaches for an agreed fee depending on how many trains are scheduled for each day [e.g. a four train day would cost them more than a three train day].
I've also heard that sometimes if an agreed number of passengers is exceeded then the hosting railway may/will get a (presumably small?) commission on the excess ticket revenue.
In other words, the franchisee sets the ticket price and gets all the revenue - but pays out all the expenses including the host railway's hire charges. Whatever is left is their profit of course.
How much Swanage Railway might get from PE services I have no idea - although I hope it might amount to several thousands!

 

https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/winter-explorer-diesel-service
DMU "Winter Explorer" - 31st December and 1st January. Six return services both days.
Return ticket £10 Adult and £5 Children. Unlimited travel £25 and £12.50 respectively.

 

I see that 34028 has been turned

 

I think the experience starts at Swanage station, with the station suitably decorated and lots of actors at the station creating the atomsphere. The excited crowds then watch the train pulling into the station to pick them up. So obviously looks much better if the loco comes in forwards.

The usual preference at Swanage is for tender locos to face Norden, to make it easier to water them at Swanage. So I expect 34028 will turned back again once PE season is over.

 

Yes this is the usual "format" for this type of contract. Hopefully this will provide SRC with a substantial income without the work and associated costs of all the non traction components. The longer season (number of operating days) compared with the traditional Santa Specials will also be a big boost.