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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. Pesmo

    Pesmo Member

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    I only have one computer provided by my employer and my company software blocks Facebook, so its useless for me. We have had long discussions on here before about the merits of various railway websites. I have to say that in general most of them are now in much better shape than they were even a couple of years ago. There are a few exceptions but most do seem to now understand what people want to see.
     
  2. alig8048

    alig8048 New Member

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    Just to follow up on the P&BR figures we beat last years total and with 8 less running days as well! One of the problems is that, as has been pointed out earlier, many of the visitors to Big Pit are on organised coach trips, so it's arrive, 2 hours for Big Pit then onto the coach and away to the next attraction. Also many people still think of Blaenavon as just being Big Pit, "they visited as a child" and it takes a long time for attitudes to change. But the message is getting out, slowly but surely.

    regards
    Alistair
     
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  3. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

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  4. Andy B

    Andy B Member

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    Shows how important location is. As well as good commercial activities of course. The gwsr are still waiting on final figures but as mentioned by the autumn we were sone 25% percent up on our best previous year. Certainly being reconnected had an impact, let's hope 2014 will continue in the same way.
     
  5. lostlogin

    lostlogin Member

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    Much better weather this year and no Olympics should have had a positive effect on numbers year on year for all those railways in "tourist" rather than day tripper areas. Recession though probably still having some long term effect. For comparison purposes 2013 v 2011 is probably more representative
     
  6. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Swanage Railway: 2011 =200,302 compared with 2013 = 210,984 - up 5.3%
     
  7. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    SVR "over 210,000" (no Thomas, dreadful weather for Spring Gala and 1 day fewer for the Santa Specials) http://www.svrlive.com/Pages/default.aspx

    Comparisons over 2011 as requested:
    2011 - 215,310
    2012 – 202,552 (poor weather and Olympics)
    2013 – "over 210,000" (see above)

    Patrick
     
  8. lostlogin

    lostlogin Member

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    Todays Daily Post is reporting "that Traffic revenue grew by 18% on the Welsh Highland in 2013 and 12% on the Ffestiniog, Obviously very healthy increases but it needs to born in mind that the accounts of the FR and WHR report that both saw reductions in traffic of about 16% the previous year.
     
  9. NUTSPLITTER2

    NUTSPLITTER2 New Member

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    So, in the context of "winners and losers" is the winning railway the one that carries most passengers?
     
  10. John R

    John R New Member

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    By winners and losers I meant which lines have had more passengers than previous years and which have had less. Not meant to be a competition, I'm purely interested in knowing which railways are increasing their patronage.
     
  11. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I see the Bluebell figures were in Heritage Railways, so I guess are public domain now - total passengers up by around 38,000, which is a fraction under 30% up on 2012.

    In broad terms, that is almost entirely made up by the new ticket sales at East Grinstead without a corresponding reduction at other stations. Sheffield Park is still our biggest station though, but EG is now comfortably second.

    Will be interesting to see what happens this year.

    Tom
     
  12. DJH

    DJH Member

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    It would be interesting to see how all the heritage centres and museums are faring as well.

    MoSI's figures tend to work on the tax year so it will be a while before it's published.

    Duncan
     
  13. John R

    John R New Member

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    I read in Railway Magazine that the GWSR recorded its best ever year, with around 86000 passengers, compared with its previous best of 75,000. That's terrific news, but I'm very disappointed that for all the excellent communication methods which are in place for the railway (and which I've publically been complimentary about), I have to wait until I read it in RM. So much for their Boardroom Blog.
     
  14. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Whilst I don't think those numbers were put up on the blog, various other stats have appeared, membership and volunteer numbers were published, they definitely mentioned a specific percentage increase for either income or passengers at some point too, can't remember which now, but there was definitely stuff there.
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Slightly tangentially, but in the winners and losers: the Town Manager for East Grinstead (according to an article in the West Sussex Times) estimated an extra 60,000 visitors in East Grinstead last year that arrived by train, with knock on increases in custom to the towns shops and cafes.

    Tom
     
  16. Fireline

    Fireline Well-Known Member

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    Can I suggest a "railway" that I think has been a real winner in 2013? I'm thinking of the Rother Valley Railway. I know that it's regarded by many as an off-shoot of the KESR, but it simply isn't. The RVR association has worked wonders at Robertsbridge, even allowing them to operate passenger trains for the first time this year. Having been there that weekend, I can vouch for the amazing efforts they made during 2013, and their ongoing commitment means yet more exciting developments for 2014.

    I would like to thank the RVR for their efforts, both to date and in the future, as they are giving a sense of real optimism to a project that at one time felt like 6 bridges too far!
     
  17. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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    In many ways its a good job its being run separate from the KESR, had it been not, it would have most likily never got out of Robertsbridge stn yard. look at the RVR funded carrage shed in field 51a, thats been on going for about the same ammount of time with only recently anything to show on the ground for it, there has been too much dragging of feet on the KESR, and if the powers that be had any say in the extension, it would probally never have happened .
     
  18. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    Severn Valley Railway updated.

    211,603 (vs 202,552) with events down 2,479 (Spring 2013 snow and one fewer Santa day), schools marginally up and passenger traffic up 10,667 (including a general increase of 7,000 (15%) in July and August due to better weather, the summer 'clubs' and TV ad).
    Turnover increased by £600,000+ with traffic £365k (a mention for Footplate Experience), Contract engineering £125k and Catering £110k (over 10% up) being the three largest. Average fares were 2013 13.67 versus 2012 12.82 up 6.6%.

    No profit figures yet. There has been a £250k increase in MPD spend and coal prices rose.

    Patrick
     
  19. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Wow, hadn't realised that Swanage got as close as 619 passengers to SVR's total last year. Especially so as SR doesn't have anywhere near SVR's capacity for 33,525 Santa passengers which is impressive.
     
  20. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    I am surprised that the SVR can maintain as big a structure as it does (physical and people) on those numbers. I thought they were over 250k people. The 33k carried over Santa's also isn't as big as I would have thought. As an aside, I am also surprised that the Swanage hasn't developed faster given its traffic and the (presumably) lower costs of a smaller railway. It would be very interesting to be able to compare management accounts.
     
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