Ordinary passengers using Heritage Railways as normal transport?

[Harbornite]

Ffestiniog
Welsh Highland
Talyllyn
Ravenglass & E
East Lancs
Strathspey
North Norfolk
Nene Valley

I'm sure there are others ...

Severn Valley

Gloucs Warks (just about)

Bodmin and Wenford
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I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the Severn Valley yet. I have a client in Bewdley and when I have to visit them I normally take the train from Kidderminster (starting in Crewe). It's expensive, but worth it for the experience !

Occasionally people suggest that London Midland should start running services to Bewdley.

The WSR could benefit from having connecting services running from Taunton, but this has been discussed elsewhere.

 

[theblackwatch]

With the withdrawal of many 153s in the coming years I do wonder how many Standard gage lines could take advantage and introduce commuter or shoppers services year round? Theres sure a market for it IMO.

It didn't work before Beeching on these lines - why will it now?

 

[E_Reeves]

The Dartmouth Steam Railway is the only way to get into Dartmouth by train

 

[miami]

The Dartmouth Steam Railway is the only way to get into Dartmouth by train

False.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

It didn't work before Beeching on these lines - why will it now?

It might possible for Swanage, the road to Swanage from the A35 can get really badly congested

 

[birchesgreen]

Occasionally people suggest that London Midland should start running services to Bewdley.

Chiltern wanted to run a few services through to Bewdley but the SVR turned down the idea.
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It didn't work before Beeching on these lines - why will it now?

Well the country isn't preserved in aspic, it changes all the time hence why some lines now closed are being reopened.

 

[infobleep]

I'd sugest going back to the first line to be preserved. or in today's speak, a heritage line - the Tallyllyn and LTC Rolt's Tallylyyn adventure. Locals still used the line, especially on Fridays, and Rolt felt it a duty to ensure that these peope were transported in preference to the visitors.

One of the reasons behind the Ffestiniog success is that the railway is in the Snowdonia natinal park.

try the original Mid Hants proposal to provide a diesel commuter service over the entire route which did not succeed

Or the Swanage railway which should be introducing a wareham - swanage service next year aimed at the commuter market

I remember seeing a poster about the possibility of diesel trains on the Midhants. What stopped it from happening or did it happen but was short lived?

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[341o2]

It didn't work before Beeching on these lines - why will it now?

Because the Beeching report was published in 1962 in an era where the motor car was seen as the future, since then, there has been a dramatic increase in the population of these islands and a shift in attitude regarding the role of the car.

To take one example, the Isle of Wight steam railway. Between Ryde and Newport it would appear that whoever built it was paid by the mile and most found the bus quicker. If the trackbed was still intact it would probably be commercially viable today as I was told by a member of staff on the IOWSR due to population growth since the 60's

 

[SpacePhoenix]

If the trackbed was still intact it would probably be commercially viable today as I was told by a member of staff on the IOWSR due to population growth since the 60's

If they had been able to restore it, it would have made travelling into Newport a lot quicker. When I was on holiday the queues heading into Newport were often very long heading towards the one-way system/roundabout where the cinema is

 

[Harbornite]

It didn't work before Beeching on these lines - why will it now?

Because there's already demand, or else the preserved lines would have closed. They are now being run by enthusiasts who actually care.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Agreed, and whilst their current fleats and ways of working might not be viable a single 153, which could even be DOO???? Assuming your provided booking offices and platform staff at both ends and found a way of ticketing intermediat shacks is a totally different ballgame

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Agreed, and whilst their current fleats and ways of working might not be viable a single 153, which could even be DOO???? Assuming your provided booking offices and platform staff at both ends and found a way of ticketing intermediat shacks is a totally different ballgame

There is / was a service in The Netherlands which was proper DOO, as the driver sold tickets as well, much as a bus driver does. Board at the front, pay your fare, sit down, the train departs. Obviously not practical for a busy route and journey times would lengthen. But could it work for a route such as Whitby (Pickering NYMR or Middlesbrough NR) where the peak loading is school kids with passes in an area with poor roads?

 

[theageofthetra]

There are plenty of multiple units abroad which I have used which have a ticket machine onboard.

 

[Deepgreen]

I was on the NYMR in late April 1980 and a heavy snowfall (yes, that late in the year!) meant that a 'public' service was being operated by their DMU.

 

[swt class 450]

What heritage railways could do to sell fares is install some Almex AS88 or Almex AS89 PERTIS machines with a list of fares next to them. Or even better they could install some Almex AS10 TVMs. I imagine they could get some second hand machines cheaply.

I think using Pacers and Sprinters would definitely be a good idea. I imagine they could be bought fairly cheaply within the next five to ten years once they get withdrawn.

 

[miami]

Isn't the reason pacers and sprinters are being withdrawn is that they are no longer suitable for use on the railway? Not sure that a "heritage line" could then use them to operate a commercial service.

 

[birchesgreen]

I'm assuming heritage line rolling stock doesn't have to be DDA compliant due to the nature of the stock (historic, authentic blah blah) but if the line is blurred between heritage line and private line used by normal travellers would that change?

 

[Lockwood]

I used to work in walking distance of a heritage station.
I did have a look at the practicality of using it to get to work. It was a total non-starter: you could only get day rovers, time table, only ran weekends and school holidays...

 

[341o2]

I remember seeing a poster about the possibility of diesel trains on the Midhants. What stopped it from happening or did it happen but was short lived?

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The original proposal for the Mid Hants was a diesel commuter service between Winchester and Alton, with a steam service between Arelsford and Alton. It was planned to be funded by share issue, but did not recieve sufficient support. So the MHR gave up the proposal for Winchester - Alton and concentrated on Arelsford to Alton. This received much better support

 

[thenorthern]

Some lines such as the Ffestiniog Railway used to be featured in the National Rail timetable and I think the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway offer through ticketing from National Rail stations.

Problem is generally heritage railways are generally more expensive to use than National Rail services as they don't receive government subsidies which on some lines particularly ones operated by Northern can make up more than half the fare.

 

[birchesgreen]

You can also get a rover ticket that works on the Island Line and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

 

[Simon11]

Some lines such as the Ffestiniog Railway used to be featured in the National Rail timetable and I think the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway offer through ticketing from National Rail stations.

Problem is generally heritage railways are generally more expensive to use than National Rail services as they don't receive government subsidies which on some lines particularly ones operated by Northern can make up more than half the fare.

Not if you become a member, then it is very very cheap!

 

[theblackwatch]

Because there's already demand, or else the preserved lines would have closed. They are now being run by enthusiasts who actually care.

But there aren't going to be enough of them to run a commercial service at 07.00 on a morning in February - most railways struggle to find enough volunteeers as it is. And the volunteer workforce is an ageing one.

The KWVR undertook a feasibility study into the possibility of running commuter services a few years ago, the conclusion was that it wasn't worthwhile.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes to run a proper commuter service you are going to need paid staff and that will raise your costs considerably.

 

[Waldgrun]

The original proposal for the Mid Hants was a diesel commuter service between Winchester (Chesil) and Alton, with a steam service between Arelsford and Alton. It was planned to be funded by share issue, but did not recieve sufficient support. So the MHR gave up the proposal for Winchester - Alton and concentrated on Arelsford to Alton. This received much better support

I agree that the Mid Hants did plan a commuter service, however it would not have used Winchester (Chesil) station or even Winchester City. Winchester (Chisil) was on the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton route which the Mid Hants line didn't have a connection to. Also that route had been lifted years before!
Winchester City station was about one & a half miles south of where the Mid Hants line branched off the South Western route to Southampton and Weymouth. Running on the mainline wasn't seen as possible in those days! Also Winchester City had no bay platforms so not seen as the ideal terminus. The proposal was for a new Station near to Winchester Junction, with a bus connection, I seem to recall the name of Springvale being used.

 

[thenorthern]

Got to remember as well with main line services most trains start at around 6am and finish at 11pm. Outside of 7am - 9pm time bracket most trains are virtually empty and a serious loss making operation but franchise commitments mean these services must run while heritage lines have no such obligation.

In the Isle of Man though I am sure there are many people who use the Manx Electric Railway and the Isle of Man Steam Railway to get to work and some people use the Isle of Man Steam Railway to get to the Isle of Man Airport.

 

[MP33]

With Heritage Railway fares, I believe that there may be the matter that as use is considered as leisure, they are subject to VAT.

 

[yorksrob]

A commuter service on a heritage railway is the sort of thing I could imagine happening with local government support, particularly to take on some permanent paid staff to run it.

The mid- Hants line would be the prime candidate, given that it's in the heart of the commuter belt, it's stations are near to the local settlements it serves and it's end on with the existing commuter service at Alton.

Perfect job for a Hampshire thumper !

 

[70014IronDuke]

I'd sugest going back to the first line to be preserved. or in today's speak, a heritage line - the Tallyllyn and LTC Rolt's Tallylyyn adventure. Locals still used the line, especially on Fridays, and Rolt felt it a duty to ensure that these peope were transported in preference to the visitors.
...

I'm glad your brought this up. ISTR seeing a Tallyllyn PR film c 1966 which mentioned that the railway ran one train per week (on Fridays?) even in winter for use by the locals, and to ensure the track was in place.

 

[alexl92]

The KWVR undertook a feasibility study into the possibility of running commuter services a few years ago, the conclusion was that it wasn't worthwhile.

There were also discussions with Northern over them running a service on the line and I believe it was considered viable but Northern couldn't provide the units or the staff.