WCRC Licence Suspended

Its nothing to do with steam.

 

Whatever the will to see steam continue and wherever it comes from, the "only shows in town" are West Coast getting back into action or DBS managing to resource a much higher level of operations than has been the recent case. No amount of political lobbying will see any change to what is required, and there is no way any alternative operator could be created and operating by the time The Jacobite is due to start - I would doubt if steam could be added to anybody else's SMS by then, let alone crews changed, experience gained and competencies achieved. None of these things can happen at the drop of a hat.

Steven

 

Can anyone put into words and numbers an illustration of just exactly what disruption to the continuity of the Jacobite would/ will mean for the local economies of the small settlements of Fort William and Mallaig?? I can't, because I don't have first-hand knowledge/ experience of the Jacobite or the area. But judging by what we saw and heard last year, from reports emanating locally, of the adverse impact on Scarborough of the summer steam ban (as a much larger town that would probably be far less dependant on a large daily influx of excursionists) I suspect that this could be potentially disastrous for these communities. Or is this an overstatement?

 

In summer you have x2 7 coach trains descending into a small coastal fishing village 6 days a week. So that's approximately 500 passenger's a day, several thousand a week..

The Jacobite is regularly fully booked, has in recent years been extended at each end of the season, now runs with 7 carriages most years and has had the addition of an afternoon departure. This is a major operation that is heavily advertised throughout Scotland and draws people to Fort William from all over the Highlands. Mallaig is only a small village and since the Skye bridge has opened is the back door route to the inner Hebrides - this would be devastating..

 

I suspect like a lot of these things it can be done if you really want to.

In addition to this of course and with no disrespect to any one involved or professional railwaypeople its a very different operation to working a steam special down - for example the ECML

 

But how long did it take for Messrs Hunt and Riley to be passed as drivers just on the Mallaig line? Not overnight.

 

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Full-steam-ahead-1010.aspx

Well, you could use the crews that have already worked it

 

Are you suggesting that Mr Shooter would want to work for Mr Smith, Sheff? That aside, if you are a bank on the naughty step, it is no big deal to pay a seven figure compensation package to a former head of the regulatory body to come and work for you. However, even assuming Mr Smith's appetite for continuing, the business is unlikely to support hiring any heavy hitters, there is probably no room for more than one ego, and there is no incentive to undersell yourself for the benefit of a for profit business. That said, there are presumably some respected professionals in the industry who would be available at a reasonable price, or possibly this is already an area for consultants?

 

I can assure everybody, from personal experience, that having a SPAD is such an dreadful occurence that the majority of Drivers wouldn't be in a fit state of mind to carry on!

 

Isn't John Cameron, ex chair Scotrail, heavily involved with advising on this project?

 

If the worse DOES happen, there will not only be plenty of loco owners ready to do business but plenty of experienced steam drivers too that DBS will not have to train up!!

 

Okay, so your line of thought is that if, heaven forbid, WCRC are not back up and running, presumably because Network Rail and/or ORR would have residiary concerns, then those same organisations (as both would be involved in licencing a new operator and granting them access to the network) would bow to pressure from a tourist body to compromise the same standards that they were applying when suspending WCRC to let somebody else run the trains instead? Apart from anything else, I would expect WCRC itself to have something to say about that and rightly so!

No-one can just walk on to the network - it takes an awful lot of work and cost and includes works to a statutory framework that includes set consultation periods with the rest of the industry. It can't, and wouldn't be done overnight. I can't claim to be totally up to date or ever have known the full ins and outs on what is involved, but it is clear that a lot of people either don't even appreciate the outline of what is involved or somehow seem to think that the fact it involves "steam" means the rules are different - they aren't. The system doesn't preclude use of steam traction but nor does it give it any preference.

Steven

 

DBS wouldn't exactly be "walking on to the network" if they decided to be the operator for a Jacobite equivalent. And what could a suspended WCRC do about it if NR gave the Jacobite paths to another operator?

 

I'm not sure I follow your argument. DBS are currently, where they have resources in place, working trains on behalf of WCRC. And that, I think, is the scenario that Big Al was referring to with regard to The Jacobite.

 

Well DBS could in theory employ some of WCR steam crews presumably ? No idea how it would work, but surely not impossible given the situation. It could be made to work so to speak. We're in speculation territory again though. Will just have to be patient for now.

 

From talks with various sources the current cost of the suspension in terms of lost income has been calculated at £35 million - and that's just the advertised tours ! What will happen to tours / programmes currently in the planning stage is anyone's guess as is the cost so far spent that will no longer be recouped through ticket sales.

 

Whilst there is a pool of WC drivers, any operator who took them on would need to be able to provide documented assurance and assessment records of their competency. They may decide that any records from previous employment don't give that assurance and would to design a bespoke competency regime. This would also be including on going supervision and assessment to ensure adherence to the competency standards and embedding of the expected safety culture. It is not a quick process and requires an on going commitment to additional assessment resource