Is it really so bad.......

Here is the issue

Loco's, rolling stock and infrastructure are all getting older and needing more complex repairs
The movement is successful and growing , but more railways and more passengers mean more days running and lots more attendant wear and tear . Preservation relies on ten year tickets , but engines increasing require more ££ to get them through to ten years

The youthful volunteers who started all of this are now well into retirement years and that knowledge is inevitably lost as people pass on . the latest SVR news notes that with retirements 160 years of cumulative experience has recently been lost . Mirror that across the movement and its frightening.

What attracts the young into railways today . H&SE makes it harder for them to be hands on (both good and not so good)

Railway's costs are exponentially rising whether it be fuel or labour or contact costs , whilst peoples real income in declining

The harsh reality is that we will see main line engines decrease . There are a number which have very little money in the kitty after many years running to fund what will be a six figure overhaul cost

I also suspect that we will see a high profile line (and I have no idea which) get into financial difficulties and maybe even fail . Many lines rely on donations , legacies etc to keep them afloat and it will only take something to send them over the edge . There thankfully is a resilience in the movement (witness SVR great flood , GWSR embankments) bit will that continue

Enjoy things while you can