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Winners and Losers in 2013

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by John R, Jan 5, 2014.

  1. John R

    John R New Member

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    I've been looking around to see which railways have posted their traffic figures for 2013. The cynic in me thinks that those with good figures tend to publicise them better and quicker. So far I haven't seen any, so would be interested to hear of any people have seen.

    For the larger railways, there is probably a natural maximum (ie WSR is around 200,000 a year), on which they are able to base their business model around. For others, maybe they hope to have increasing numbers to justify further development, but how realistic is this. The market for travel on preserved railways appears fairly well developed.
     
  2. Matt78

    Matt78 Well-Known Member

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    Gwili final total not confirmed but in the region of 27k for the year. This is just shy of our best year ever (2012 -
    28k). This year we didn't run a Thomas event for the first time in about 15 years so that had a negative impact on figures (last year's passenger total for these events 7k) but against that we carried a record 10k passengers for our Santa season this year.

    The P and B have also recorded a good year passenger wise according to their Facebook page.

    Regards

    Matt
     
  3. gwalkeriow

    gwalkeriow Well-Known Member

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    A good year for the IOWSR with a I% increase over 2012, the final figure being 105,108.
     
  4. John R

    John R New Member

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    Thanks Matt. Am I the only one to be slightly irritated by the trend to use Facebook for information that previously would have been posted on the website. Another example I can think of is the MNR, which hasn't updated its Volunteer News since February.

    Given the P and B now have the spur to Big Pit, I'd have expected an increase in numbers over the last year or so., whereas it's stayed around 12k. I know Blaenavon isn't the easiest place to get to, so it's never likely to be a big hitter, but the draw of Big Pit does bring a steady stream of around 160,000 visitors some of whom clearly have some interest in industrial archaeology. Big Pit is free too, so it's not as though they will have spent all their money there.
     
  5. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Bot sure on numbers, but I know the gwsr has had its best year financially l, beating the 2009, members and volunteers are also highest levels ever, with that latter having just gone past 800 I believe.

    Sent from my C2105 using Tapatalk
     
  6. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    Severn Valley Railway, unofficial:

    "The results from November were very positive, passenger numbers are to the end of November 8,820 ahead of last year and the November financial results are ahead of November’s budget by £17,000". http://www.svrlive.com/Pages/News.aspx

    The SVR suffered very badly with the appalling weather for its Spring Gala, the Gala attendance 2,320 against 4,209 in 2012.

    The Santas were a near sell out but, due to the 1st December being on a Sunday, it 'lost' the first day of Santa services compared with 2012. This may reflect in year end numbers, which will run to today (the SVR closes its passenger numbers at the end of the festive period service).

    It ran a Thomas event in 2012 and received 7,424 Thomas passengers over the two weekends, but not in 2013.

    Patrick
     
  7. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    NO !!

    Having been involved with computer security during my working life I am unhappy with the privacy security on many Social Websites and - for that reason - refuse to join. One consequence - as noted - is that I am denied access to news of railway happenings which means that the posting organisation(s) are denying themselves access to a group of supporters who do not use these social sites. There is the view that if these organisations cannot / will not use the internet but restrict themselves to a limited number of social sites then they do not deserve to succeed.
     
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  8. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    No you are not the only one - but not for the reasons that Fred suggests -this forum and others like it are social sites and are as likely as FB etc to be full of back doors. Anyone use Skype? well its had a back door in it since it was launched.

    Big Pit does get a lot of visitors but I'd imagine a great number come by coach and a lot will come during the week whereas I believe the railway is weekend only.
     
  9. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I don't have a problem with organisations using facebook for more regular updates than would be practical than email, but when everything is exclusively on social media sites etc. I think most railways have it about right, the gwsr has it more than right, most updates are on blog sites so you view it like a normal webpage, but is so much easier to put up. I really would like to see other railways follow suite with this, I think on average the network of blogs on the gwsr get about 15,000 viewings a month.
     
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  10. 5786Dan

    5786Dan New Member

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    Bluebell too. I love their website, I wish more were like them and the GWSR. My only problem with the GWSR's is that all the information isn't in one place, you have to look at several blogs, the Bluebell's is all in one place.
     
  11. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    but how often is that updated, as people in each department have to email things to webmaster who then has to upload it. and there is a way to look at everything, there is a page on the main website linking you to all the blogs, and each blog has links to all the others so is easy to look at them all
     
  12. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Has the GWSR really got 800 vols?? Should be open to Honeybourne in no time then ;)
     
  13. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    The GWSR aggregated blog idea (last 10 uploads can be found in one place) is an excellent innovation but depending upon your viewpoint, some blogs appear too full of tittle tattle & lacking in solid news content.

    Perhaps the tittle tattle is of interest to those working on the railway but at times there is a tendancy for regularity to champion over solid news content - slightly offputting to the interested outsider.
     
  14. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    Being Yorkshiremen, we tend to track cash as we go more than passenger numbers on the NYMR! Fares takings have recovered last year's fall and look set to be a new record, although the tracking of Passenger Numbers through the year suggest a smaller rise to beat last year but not the previous peak. This suggests that more passengers are taking longer journeys (i.e,. including Whitby).

    Final figures will appear in the next few weeks as the Finance Department fit in calculating them amongst the year-end accounts and other regular reports.

    Steven
     
  15. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Facebook's fine by me - all the latest news from groups I follow in one place, without me having to go looking for it. No security problems in the six years I've used it.
     
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  16. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Yorkshire's other top railway (Middleton) has also had a very successful year. Like Bean Counter, I don't know actual traffic figures but fares income is over 25% up on budget (which was equal to last years income) and, excluding grants, overall income was 23% up on budget. We have spent slightly more than we planned though, but not enough to dent the cash flow, which remains very positive. New Years Day got 2014 off to a flying start, as well, despite the awful weather. Let's hope it continues once the silly season arrives.
     
  17. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I think we will when the Dinmore manor lot join, as they will have to be normal volunteers to maintain Dinmore manor and begin the restoration of 2874. On my induction course I was told we would be in Honeybourne by 2020! That's very unlikely how, unless a billionaire suddenly takes an interest in us :D but broadway by 2018 is my prediction, and Honeybourne by 2025 (these are entirely my own predictions, from no particular area of expertise other than observing other timescsles going further and further into the future...)

    As for tittle tattle in the blogs, yes there is some that only members get, but I think there's always good info on whatever relevant progress is being made in that department.
     
  18. louis.pole

    louis.pole New Member

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    To which end of November do you refer. The 1st or the 29th?
     
  19. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Joking right? Who ever heard of someone using 'end of the month' to refer to the beginning of the month ?
     
  20. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    Facebook is just another website, like this one. A properly constructed Facebook page is denying you nothing - you're choosing to deny yourself. In fact, it's a requirement to provide MORE information to NatPres to read content in the Member's Lounge than it is for Facebook, where public pages can be viewed without any kind of registration or log-in.

    Facebook is useful because it takes almost zero technical knowledge to regularly update a Facebook page, compared to managing a website of your own. There are other ways of doing this, granted, but many organisations won't have routine access to the right skills to manage and maintain their own site.

    Simon
     
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