Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter railway

Such as a commuter train works from monday to friday and little bit on the weekends.
During the open times on weekends a steam train would be able to operate for tourists.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

I suppose the nearest we've got in the UK is Grosmont to Whitby where NYMR steam-hauled trains mix with Northern Rail services. "Commuter railway" is probably a bit of on over-statement, but I suspect that they do carry a few commuters and, I believe, schoolkids use the Northern Rail services.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Many years ago West Somerset and Keighley & Worth Valley ran DMU commuter services, but these are long gone and offered local discount fares.
When the ELR opened in 1987, it's fares were cheaper than the local bus company, and it's first train being 0930, 1030 and 1130 from Ramsbottom started attracting bus company customers, so much so that the local bus operator reduced fares to compete, but in 1988 they increased their fares and the business returned to the buses.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

We hope that in time, provided assistance is received from the local authorities and TFL, we will be able to build a new platform at Epping, so Epping-Ongar Railway will be able to both offer services for local people, as well as bringing in green tourism to the area with steam and diesel hauled trains, connecting with Central Line trains from Central London (Oxford Circus, Liverpool St, Stratford etc).
We already have a suburban door arrangement 117 DMU and 205 205 "Thumper", and the extensive infrastructure works currently being undertaken have all been designed with running to Epping in mind, including additional bay platforms at Ongar and North Weald. Further details on our website: www.eorailway.co.uk
As with all heritage projects progress (and the re-opening date) depends on how many people are kind enough to come down and help out. If you are in our area, get in touch via our website as we have a very friendly and welcoming team.
Simon, EOR

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Weardale Railway also

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

K&WVR still run their railbus on early services on Sats for locals to go shopping in Keithley. Well - it's a form of 'commuting'!

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

I notice that the Weardale Railway has already been mentioned, but in my opinion this is the only 'heritage' railway that actually has a genuine public service element. Trains are operated seven days a week, with a Monday to Friday service where the first train leaves before 8am and the last returns after 8pm - and a day return price of £5.50 for a 36 mile trip!

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

It is a remarkable service! I hope it continues to prosper. Do you know if the revenue covers the cost of running the service? Is it subsidised? If so, who puts up the extra cash? I ask because I was the commercial manager of the WSR in the early 1980s and we simply found it did not pay to run such services. It was OK when it first started but after a few years it became a drain on resources and with no-one else prepared to support the service it was dropped.

Steve

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Not 'commuter' services but it should be remembered that the Ffestiniog connects with two Arriva Trains Wales run lines and has done for many years.

Meic

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

so much so that when a delayed train meant I missed my connection heading to Porthmadog a journey of manchester-crewe-llandudno junction-blaneau-porthmadog was considered by the guard with the last leg being on the Ffestiniog. In the end I went to Bangor and was taxiied to Porthmadog.

There was also a story that I dont know of its reliability mentioned a member using the Ffestiniog to get to Tescos in Porthmadog to do their shopping.

Regards
Duncan

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Hello,

I have been thinking hard to find an example but not in the UK. The closest I could find is the Friese Stoomtrein Maatschappij in the Netherlands: http://www.friesestoomtreinmaatschappij.nl. They intend to run steam tourist trains on Thursdays to Sundays from 2011 on the Sneek to Stavoren section of the Leuwaaren - Stavoren line which sees hourly trains by Arriva.

In Germany, the Ulmer Eisenbahnfreunde run steam trains on the Albtalbahn from Karlsruhe to Bad Herrenalb which is best described as "heavy light rail". The line is built to railway standards but operated with DC light rail vehicles. In true German fashion there are two steam trains on the last Sunday of the month from May to October.

Still in Germany, the Hessencourier steam train from Kassel to Naumburg shares the track with freight trains for the VW works at Baunatal and then with a light rail line to Großenritte where it reaches the section which is exclusively used for the steam train. Again, operation is fairly limited with one return train usually on the second Sunday in the month from April to October.

Can't think of any other, though, but there might be some more elsewhere.

Kind regards

Christoph

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

NYMR trains certainly inter-operate with Northern trains and, depending on your definition of commuter trains, the Northern trains into Whitby in the morning and out in the evening are used by commuters. Certainly the school children use them. It is the times of the school trains that are cast in tablets of stone and effectively limit the number of trains that the NYMR can operate. Incidentally, NYMR tickets are also valid on Northern trains and this leads to a peculiar state of affairs. Many people travelling from Pickering to Whitby for the day don't wish to wait for the NYMR train back in the late afternoon and use the 16.05 Northern service to Grosmont, where they change trains to the NYMR for the remainder of the journey. Now this train is usually a 2 car Sprinter and also carries the schoolchildren so is always full to overflowing. Because of this overcrowding, the NYMR often lays on a duplicate bus service. Can there be anywhere else where one TOC puts on a bus to alleviate overcrowding on another TOC's trains at a time when they aren't scheduled to run their own train?

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Wolsztyn ?

Harz has a very mixed Railbus/Tram and train operation.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

I don't know whether the fare income covers the costs, but the Weardale is largely owned by an American company. They also have just recently got planning permission to load coal from an open cast mine at their Wolsingham depot. I guess that a regular income from operating freight trains will cover some of the overheads as well as a lot of the costs of maintaining the track.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Thanks for that. I guess the Weardale setup is unusual compared with other British heritage railways. Good news re freight too. Hope it just grows and grows.

Steve

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

The P&DSR was allowed to take over the Kingswear line from BR on the proviso that they maintained the commuter service. I believe they did for one winter, then they failed to deliver the following year.

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

Two points to add to this - circular travels to/from North wales coast towards Shrewsbury/West Midlands but the timetabling is not really daily commuter friendly.
secondly - some local people do use the Ffesty, both up and down, for shopping trips: and I remember several regulars using the train to go home from work. (The ultimate commuters on the FfRly must have been the Quarrymen!)

StoneRoad

 

Re: Does anyone know of a place where a heritage railway is mixed with a commuter rai

I think you are asking this question 3 years too soon, as far as the UK is concerned.
But Swanage Railway hopes to be running a true mixed heritage/service train timetable Swanage-Wareham by then.
See here: http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/dailysvce.htm

Any other contenders? What is the MCR schedule for re-opening Stoke-Leek via Leekbrook Junction? That would allow proper connections to the Churnet Valley Railway on every day that the heritage services run to Froghall or Cauldon Lowe.

And of course if the freight traffic takes off on the Weardale, that could finance better integrated services at Bishop Auckland by 2013.