SVR General Discussion

Get a grip! Be grateful we can do these things in 2025! You've paid £45 for an all day ticket, SVR have sold it cheap in my opinion. I did not moan when I had 2x20 vice steam on a Saphos tour back in July 2022!

 

In that case the railway should not charge a premium fare

 

They didn't. £45 is cheap for FS and is a normal gala walk up fare.

 

Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face!

 

Sorry, but that's unreasonable. While I agree both that this is a force majeure situation, that the SVR have implemented a reasonable compromise, and that the contract has been honoured, a clause like that for something advertised specifically on the basis of traction is unreasonable.

30-odd years ago, I'd tickets for "Un Ballo in Maschera" at Covent Garden, sold (at a significant premium) on the basis of Pavarotti singing. He pulled out, all tickets were part refunded to the "ordinary" price level, and the normal "no refunds" policy waived.

It may be - but also demonstrates the importance of engaging with customers rather than adopting a "customer is wrong" stance.

 

Their conditions of carriage state "SVR will use all reasonable endeavours to operate the timetable but cannot guarantee that services will be hauled by a particular type of traction or class of locomotive. Published lists of locomotives planned to be operating on any day are indicative only and subject to change without notice." Do not buy a ticket if you do not agree to the t&cs. The customer is wrong on this occasion. I didn't go asking the WSR for a refund when 9351 substituted for 42968 on a fish & chip special in October 2007.

 

Sorry, I'm not sure how my relatively measured response to this deserves a 'Get a grip' rude type of response?

Great for you that you didn't moan, but what relevance does that have here?

I have said, you can feel great for the SVR that they are back open with the A3 AND be aggrieved that what you spent £45 on originally isn't what you are getting.

And I am sorry, I take issue with £45 being 'cheap'. It's reasonable, absolutely, but it is an expensive world, and many of us have to be 100 percent sure we can afford these things.

If I don't go, I am happy for the SVR to keep the money purely as they deserve it, but equally, I and others are entitled to feel a little disappointed at a diesel-assisted Scotsman.

Even Harry who is footplate crew at the SVR seems to feel frustrated at it and can sympathise with us who have paid, some of whom are also volunteers at other railways and have first-hand experience of passenger disappointment.

We can both be happy for the 'Valley, but also feel disappointed from a passenger's viewpoint.

And as my particular tickets were also a surprise for my father, who himself has never ridden Scotsman, I didn't want him to feel let down either.

 

Many of us happily agree to the T&Cs. Its a risk we sometimes take, but its not so big a deal on a normal day versus a highly advertised special train.

Also, the gripe many of us have here is a diesel replacing or near enough replacing steam. Not many of us would complain about a steamer replacing a steamer as you had in 2007, so that's not really relevant to this 'discussion'.

Telling people they should 'get a grip' and can't feel disappointed or that the 'customer is wrong' isn't healthy. We are human beings, and we are allowed to feel whatever we feel. Just there are ways to vent that which are better than others.

 

That IS what you paid for. Get a grip!

 

Diesel isn't replacing steam. 60103 is in the formation as advertised. Way you are going on is that they are giving you Mk5s with 66s and a view of FS as the train passes by Kidderminster carriage shed with Mk3s parked in the way.

 

We didn't pay for an A3 with Class 20 assistance though did we? That wasn't what was advertised? Again, a polite response somehow warranted "GeT a GrIP".

 

I have no idea of the fare but if it is £45 return for a return trip on the SVR, that does in fact seem very cheap to me for the prices that FS (for reasons best known to others) attracts at other lines.

Whilst taking in @35B Pavarotti comment, you did not get the advertised artist, here you are getting the advertised loco which unfortunately due to the weather has help from what I personally regard as the most ugly diesel BR ever produced.
Still at least FS look better than this (from a 1991 visit when my photography was even worse than now)

 

It is definitely better than some other fares for it I can agree with that.

Yeah, the class 20 isn't the prettiest thing ever produced...

 

@JBTEvans
How about this scenario.....you go regularly to club with a house band, their line up changes week to week but essentially they perform at the same level. The club then recruits a world wide 'top of the bill performer for one night only' and charges you more than the usual admission. But on the night in question the singer has a sore throat, the lead guitarist has broken a finger, the drummer dislocated a shoulder. They proceed to mime the set.

Would you "get a grip' and be a happy clappy nothing wrong here type of chap or would you expect management to acknowledge the out of their control circumstances and offer a full/partial refund to the PAYING CUSTOMER

 

We each have choices to make in specific circumstances. There is a material difference between "published lists of locomotives" and an event sold specifically on the basis of a particular locomotive. God forbid it come to that, but I suspect a judge would look very harshly indeed on a claim that the T&Cs override advertising of an event based on a specific locomotive.

While I also disagree with @kelsh002 in the strength of his reaction to what seems to me a completely reasonable operational decision, he is entitled to a level of respect given that the event is not entirely as advertised. I very much hope that those in public facing roles when he visits on Sunday can manage a degree of empathy.

 

No, the published locomotive is 60103 in this instance, which is being provided. The T&Cs apply whatever the damn traction is. As I have said I did not ask for refund when I had home loco 9351 instead of guest 42968 on the WSR for an evening special in 2007.

 

I have been to a gig with an actual band who without notice change drummer for the evening as the former member left in undisclosed circumstances.

 

@JBTEvans
As you seem very happy with FS being pushed around by a class 20 you are welcome to have my ticket for Sunday for a £45 donation to a dementia charity

 

I couldn't believe it when released. I think the SVR have seriously unsold it. At least by 10%. £20k they could've cashed in at least. Would've paid for the 20s fuel and some!

 

Drummer are very very rarely the key member of any group, they are very easily replaceable, they are not who you go to see