Best-ever boom year for Britain’s heritage lines

THE record-breakers – that’s what they are calling Britain’s portfolio of preserved railways, as passenger numbers reached their highest levels ever in 2005.
Across Britain, heritage railways not only bucked the trend of dwindling visitor numbers at major tourist attractions, but proved themselves beyond doubt to be a growing industry in their own right, as records tumbled almost everywhere.
On Britain’s most popular heritage line, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, passenger figures were around 1000 up on 2004, ending the year at 303,887.
While the rise was not as dramatic as that recorded on other lines, management were delighted that the numbers have again remained above the 300,000-mark.
In second place was the Severn Valley Railway, which broke through the 250,000-passenger barrier for the first time, while reporting a record turnover of £4.25-million.
SVR marketing manager john Leach said that the final total would be around 252,000, beating the 2003 best-ever figure of 248,627.

“Talking to the other major attractions in the West Midlands, everyone is saying that bread-and-butter visitor numbers remained static, but it is the school and coach party bookings that have jumped up.”

There was also a new record for the West Somerset Railway, Britain’s longest heritage line, which carried 203,297 passengers – easily beating the 2004 total of 192,364, itself a record.

Chairman Chris Austin said: “We have well and truly broken through the 200,000-passenger barrier and are firmly in the top link of heritage railways.”

Managing director Mark Smith added: “Looking back over the years puts the achievement in perspective. In 1985 we carried 57,339, 1990 saw 115,227, 1995 128,378 and 2000 saw 154,421. Each of these was a major milestone in our progress, and hard work is already going forward to ensure that we continue to build for 2006.

“An amusing sidelight is that, in the mid-90s, a consultant was commissioned – not by the WSR – to investigate our potential growth and ‘proved’ that the maximum number of passengers we would ever carry in a year was 150,000, and then only by spending ‘disproportionate amounts on advertising’. We feel that we have rather repudiated that particular study.”

The South Devon Railway also had its best-ever year in 2005.
Passenger numbers rose by seven per cent from 85,339 in 2004 to 91,341.

The railway’s turnover, comprising both the South Devon Railway Trust, which operates the railway, and the South Devon Railway plc, which runs the retail and other commercial operations of the SDR, was £1.3-million, while combined balance sheet values topped £2.3-million.
Trust traffic revenues rose by 11 per cent and overall turnover increased by about five per cent, with the plc income up by 28 per cent.

The trust generated a surplus of £220,000 and the plc generated £90,000 profit, which is gift-aided to the trust as a registered charity, and used to help pay off the debt incurred in buying the line from former landlord Dart Valley Railway plc.

SDR general manager Richard Elliott said: “We are absolutely delighted with these results, which reflect the enormous hard work put in by the volunteers, staff and management of the railway.

“The weather was mixed for us, but we have been working hard continually to improve the attractions at the SDR, which is more and more becoming an all-day attraction for our visitors. We are hoping to top the 100,000-passenger mark this year.”

At the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, 117, 600 passengers were carried, around five per cent up on the previous year and the third consecutive annual increase.
KWVR chairman Paul Brown said: “We’ve extended the main season thanks to a series of popular special events and this is obviously reflected in the figures.”

Passenger numbers were slightly down on the Swanage Railway, which dipped from 199,670 in 2004 to 196,972 – but income from tickets broke through the £1-million barrier for the first time, setting a new record.

Income from shop sales and catering rose by five per cent. Operations manager David Green said: “We were helped somewhat by BBC South Today shooting a new opening sequence with eight seconds of the Swanage Railway appearing on it. That is screened six times a day and, since it had been on the air, our passenger numbers have been spectacular.”

Despite having a disappointing Santa season, unlike most other lines the Mid-Hants Railway saw passenger numbers rise by four per cent to around 130,000.
On the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, around 53,000 passengers were carried – a six per cent increase on the previous year. General manager Roger Webster said: “We did well with Thomas, this bearing in mind its 60th anniversary, but there is a general feeling that more and more people are seeking nostalgia. Many who come here are not steam enthusiasts but are still seeking steam.

“However, you have to keep freshening up the product. It is not good enough simply to run the same train out and back each day.”
The Bluebell Railway saw passenger numbers rise by three per cent to 186,000.
Despite a dearth of steam in the early part of the season, passenger figures on the East Lancashire Railway were maintained at the previous year’s level of around 108,000.

The Scottish Railway Preservation has reported its best ever running season, with nearly 49,202 passengers carried on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway in 2005 – an increase of 12 per cent over 2004 season. The previous best was 2001 when 47,315 were carried, while December’s Santa trains also set a new record with 12,157 people travelling.

The Cholsey & Wallingford Railway saw passenger numbers more than double by 106 per cent. Santa specials were also 25 per cent up, thanks to the hire of GWR 2-6-2T No 5542.
On the 15in gauge Cleethopres Coast Light Railway, ticket sales were up by four per cent, revenue by eight per cent, but retail sales soared by 32 per cent, with catering up 12 per cent on 2004. General manager Chris Shaw said: “The secret is to create more attractions to keep people longer.”

SOURCE HERITAGE RAILWAYS WEBSITE