Heritage organisation lease costs

[Driver74]

I was wondering just how much Heritage railways pay annually for their leases and how the amount is arrived at.

Legal fees have to be found first of course that are quite substantial. One intending Group in Cambridgeshire has been faced with a £20,000 legal costs that so far has taken them almost 5 years to try to raise. This doesn’t give much hope to its membership when faced with say a £10,000 rental each year. I base this on that their intended line is 10 miles long, so it would be a £1,000 a mile.

So reverting to my earlier question. Are other Heritage organisations faced with similar fees?

 

[Driver74]

I was wondering just how much Heritage railways pay annually for their leases and how the amount is arrived at.

Legal fees have to be found first of course that are quite substantial. One intending Group in Cambridgeshire has been faced with a £20,000 legal costs that so far has taken them almost 5 years to try to raise. This doesn’t give much hope to its membership when faced with say a £10,000 rental each year. I base this on that their intended line is 10 miles long, so it would be a £1,000 a mile.

So reverting to my earlier question. Are other Heritage organisations faced with similar fees?

Really, I have been holding my sides at the lack of reaction. Don’t heritage groups have balance sheets for their members?

The quote on the £1,000 a mile of £10,000 for a lease was quoted by their chair person in the Cambridgeshire press stating there was no way they could find that amount. I could have told them that 4 years ago.

I wasn’t asking any National secrets as each Group has to state to its members what the out going are each year, or don’t there members read balance sheets?

I certainly praise Heritage groups for their determination under difficult current situations. But this Cambridgeshire Group hasn’t a hope in hell. I feel the local demand for re instatement of the main line is the only option remaining.
Still this could be interesting just the same?

 

[paul1609]

We (K&ESR) dont have any leasing costs we bought the branch between Tenterden and Bodiam for £25000 with a mortgage from BR over 25 years. I dont believe the company would be viable if it was starting up today. The Tenterden site alone must be worth several million pounds alone for housing.

 

[theblackwatch]

I believe most railways, but not all, own the routes they operate on rather than lease the trackbed. One railway which doesn't is the Wensleydale Railway, which according to its accounts, has had operating lease costs (land and buildings) of £29,825 for each of the past two years.

 

[paul1609]

I think some of the railways are owned by the local authority and the societies pay a peppercorn rent. I think but I could be wrong this includes the East Lancs.

 

[Menace Dennis]

Really, I have been holding my sides at the lack of reaction. Don’t heritage groups have balance sheets for their members?

The quote on the £1,000 a mile of £10,000 for a lease was quoted by their chair person in the Cambridgeshire press stating there was no way they could find that amount. I could have told them that 4 years ago.

I wasn’t asking any National secrets as each Group has to state to its members what the out going are each year, or don’t there members read balance sheets?

I certainly praise Heritage groups for their determination under difficult current situations. But this Cambridgeshire Group hasn’t a hope in hell. I feel the local demand for re instatement of the main line is the only option remaining.
Still this could be interesting just the same?

I have just recently joined this forum, so going through some of the older posts first.

Driver74, have you contacted this particular group in order to confirm your information, or even know they don't give out balance sheets for sure? Come to that, why not ask them for a breakdown of costs, because if this is the group to which I feel you are referring, where did you get this info from? Come to that, are you even a member of it? If not, why not join and offer some of what seems expert advice?

Sorry to disappoint you, but from what I have learned about one line in Cambridgeshire where a mere handful of retired people seem to want their local line re-opened as a commuter line, it is a No-Go from the start, due to the position it is in on the map and so not at all viable to do so. Meanwhile, the group trying to get the money to re-open it as a Community/Heritage Line, have raised every single penny themselves and with No help from any Council whatsoever. I say Good Luck to them, because it simply can't be done overnight.