WHR General Discussion.

Re: WHR, has it a future?

And your evidence for this political storm is what, please?

While the railway is attempting to promote Beddgelert as a destination rather than a start point (and the satnav directions to Beddgelert in the first 2009 timetable leaflet are acknowledged as a faux pas that's being removed from further print runs), not everyone may be aware that the main village car park was extended a few years ago, expressly to help cater for extra usage when the railway reopened, and an additional car park was also built. As a regular visitor to Beddgelert, my impression is that the reopening has made remarkably little negative difference to the situation. Which is not to say that Beddgelert doesn't have problems when it's busy. It doesn't help that it doesn't have a proper stop for road coaches, though perhaps in future their operators can be persuaded that putting their passengers on trains further out at "gateway" stations rather the bussing them in and out of Beddgelert will save them money on bashes from negotiating roads that really aren't big enough for their vehicles.

On the other hand though, there may be a broader change affecting Snowdonia as a whole, if it is indeed the case that people are preferring to holiday in the UK during the recession. I remember thinking that the last Bank Holiday put more pressure on the roads and parking in the National Park than I've ever seen before; Beddgelert was in "worse than August Bank Holiday" mode (i.e. gridlocked by 4x4s - not difficult, two badly driven ones can do the trick) but mountaineering locations such as Pen y Pass and Ogwen Cottage were far, far worse. I dread to think what Betws y Coed was like...

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8093240.stm
Just a small story that means a new eyesore for the town but should ease the congestion caused by the railway.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

To be fair the congestion is mainly caused by the parking situation and the pedestrian crossings, the WHR will make little if any difference especially over the course of a whole day.

Chris

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

My point was that the WHR was expected to make things better rather than maintain previous congestion levels. Without a Porthmadog access, visitors from the coast will have to drive to Beddgelert if they are to experience a train ride through Aberglaslyn.

No-one can be sure what effect economic downturn will have on holiday intentions.

Politics are quite unpredictable, which is why it is sensible to avoid giving excuses for someone to create a furore.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

OK - that is indeed a fair point for this year. Particularly as the operator (not the railway) of the open-top bus service linking Beddgelert and Porthmadog Harbour Stations has developed cold feet. We won't get the full picture until after full reopening.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Just wondering how the WHR and the Portmadoc bypass are going to intergrate? Will there be a park and ride facility on the bypass to serve both Port and Beddgelert? Surely that will be a wonderful oppurtunity for the WHR to fullfil part of its raison d`etre of getting cars out of the NP.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

I presume Porthmadog Park & Ride sort of thing has been looked at, because that sounds like a really good idea.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Presumption, good ideas, and politics would be unusual bedfellows.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

If anyone is wondering about how the FR and WHR are doing, apparently passenger loadings this year are up on the former and way up on the latter this year - so much so that two extra coaches are making their way north next week to cope. Its looking good for the summer.

(big thanks to Roger Dimmick and his post on the WHR e-group for the info)

Chris

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

That is really good news!

Paul H.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

I am glad to hear that numbers are good as watching some of the videos posted on this site you do not get the impression that the WHR trains have been overloaded. The latest ones I have looked at being D1059's videos posted on Thursday under the "a Weekend on the FR and WHR" heading.

Obviously these are only snapshots of odd trains and they may not give a true picture but they and some other were a bit worrying.

Ultimately it will take a couple of years to get a true picture as by then the WHR should have geared itself up to attract a decent amount of coach traffic whilst at the same time the initial "rush" by enthusiasts and others to experience the "new" railway will have fallen away so they will get a better idea of more regular numbers.

I have to admit on a very selfish level I would not mind the WHR failing in its current form as hopefully the Welsh Assemby will then step in to bail out and run it as part of a modern subsidised quick useful and efficient year round transport system offering a frequent service which I feel is what the area really needs rather than a fairly expensive tourist ride. Around this I would let the FR/WHR run heritage steam trips on the same sort of principal run steam on the Cambrian in the Summer or the NYMR run to Whitby.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

I'm going on holiday this year to North wales and I was a bit disappointed that the full WHR?FR will not be open before August.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

The enthusiast's dilemma about North Wales -

Come in high season and have the chance of riding behind steam along the Coast line from Machynlleth to Pwllheli, but with the WHR not yet fully open throughout or wait till later for the complete WHR line but the Coast line steam operation will be over by then.

John

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Lasted news that I have heard is that it will not be fully open till easter 2010. Has to be said did not see point of opening the extension at the end of a season.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Has to be said did not see point of opening the extension at the end of a season.[/quote]

Actually that is exactly what the WHR has done with all its openings before this year; IIRC Caernarfon - Dinas was September 1997, to Waunfawr was September 2000 and Rhyd Ddu a little earlier in the year in, I think, August 2003.

Ian King

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Actually that is exactly what the WHR has done with all its openings before this year; IIRC Caernarfon - Dinas was September 1997, to Waunfawr was September 2000 and Rhyd Ddu a little earlier in the year in, I think, August 2003.

Ian King[/quote]

I guess that not only generates some additional enthusiast traffic in the quieter months, but also gives them the chance to sort out any remaining gremlins before the more intensive summer services begin. Makes sense if you look at it that way.

Richard

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Caernarfon-Dinas was October 1997 (basically in time for half term) and Dinas-Waunfawr was August 2000, but the general point holds good nonetheless. Ian won't need this pointing out, but for general info please remember that the staged reopening of Phase 4 is a far bigger affair (in total it doubles the length of the railway, and what's reopened this year is close in length to, say, the entire Talyllyn) than Phases 1-3, which opened as soon as HMRI approved them. In addition to the works/money needed to complete the crossings at Pont Croesor and in Porthmadog, there's also a major and inevitable maintenance effort involved in picking up on items needing attention on the recently reopened sections, with PW possessions from 0600 to the first train on operating days, and all day on non-operating days.

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Firstly i think that choosing garrats which look so out of place was a big mistake and that's already enough to make me not want to go. Secondly, the disputes with the old WHR have not helped. From what ive seen the new line is really lacking in character and in my opinion is not at all attractive. A big waste of money, it's too flashy, a real let down !!

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Your first post i notice, which is such a blatant piece of trolling i cant be bothered to dissect it. All i'll say is that If you want to launch such an attack on a railway, at least visit it beforehand (which it seems you havent by your comment about garratts putting you off), before saying its a 'let down', let alone 'not attractive' and a 'waste of money'! If you have, then i'd like to know just what more the WHR needs to be attractive, if travelling through the heart of Snowdonia isnt enough...

Chris

 

Re: WHR, has it a future?

Your quite right, my mistake, i should have written (make me not want to go AGAIN). Sorry. It should be noted that these locomotives which came here from the dessert of aparthied South Africa don't belong to the sweet mountains of Snowdonia, that plus the fact they are overscale just like the track they run on !! I just don't like them plus the railway they run on !! that's all, for the momment.