Private Companies Subsidising Railway Services

[tbtc]

The Berney Arms thread saw mention of the idea of a private company subsidising a railway service (albeit only the hypothetical idea of a future pub owner having an incentive to pay for more trains to stop at every railway hipster's favourite niche station)...

...and it got me thinking. Some "public" organisations pay for additional services above and beyond the bare franchise requirement (PTEs paying for a Sunday service on a line where there's no requirement in the franchise). But which "private" organisations actually do/did pay for services/ trains/ upgrades?

Airports? Private schools? Shopping centres?

Did British Steel/ IBM actually pay the railway money to stop at their eponymous stations? Or is it enough to contribute towards a station and then you don't have to dip your hand in your pocket to ensure that services actually stop there?

(for arguments sakes - I'm not talking about infrastructure costs - e.g. house builders having to contribute to the cost of a new station or various London businesses paying a share of the Crossrail building costs - only ongoing subsidies - and am not talking about voluntary groups like the Friends Of The Insert Name Here Line)

 

[EM2]

I have been told (but do not know for certain) that Westfield make a contribution to the running of High Speed services on Boxing Day.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Years ago it was commonly stated that Butlins contributed to various 'marginal' services to their camps such as Penychain and Minehead although I never saw any definitive proof of this.

 

[neilmc]

I recall that when the Burnley Building Society was merged with the Provincial Building Society (based in Bradford) in 1982 and many staff needed to travel between the two sites, the new merged society sponsored trains on the Copy Pit line, prior to a regular service being reintroduced along the whole route.

 

[Pinza-C55]

How nice of them. The whole idea of privatisation is validated.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't the Sinfin branch supported by Rolls-Royce?

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Oxfordshire Narrowboats subsidised a Sunday service to Tackley and Heyford: http://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/train-service-back-on-line-thanks-to-businessman-1-588155

 

[matt_world2004]

Some earky morning and late evenning buses on the 350 are subsidised by heathrow airport , fares in the free fare zone on the tube and bus are paid for by hesthrow airport . I think shopping centres like bkuewater pay for buses to serve them too.

 

[HH]

Braintree Freeport station was paid for by the shopping centre developers.

 

[QueensCurve]

The Berney Arms thread saw mention of the idea of a private company subsidising a railway service (albeit only the hypothetical idea of a future pub owner having an incentive to pay for more trains to stop at every railway hipster's favourite niche station)...

...and it got me thinking. Some "public" organisations pay for additional services above and beyond the bare franchise requirement (PTEs paying for a Sunday service on a line where there's no requirement in the franchise). But which "private" organisations actually do/did pay for services/ trains/ upgrades?

Airports? Private schools? Shopping centres?)

Not strictly "private", but BNFL used to provide subsidies for trains to Sellafield from the South. This reduced fares and supported an additional Barrow>Sellafield>Barrow diagram.

All this changed after the NDA took ownership of the Sellafield Site iin 2004. I don't know the current position.

 

[matt_world2004]

Berkley homes is part funding the construction of woolwich crossrail station.

 

[thenorthern]

I think Quinn Glass wanted to support more trains on the Ellesmere Port to Helsby line as they had a factory there but nothing ever came of it.

Southend Airport station I think was partially funded by Stobart Rail who manage the station.

For a while Ampere Way on the Tramlink was called IKEA Ampere Way as a sponsorship deal.

I think many other stations have attractions or businesses in the name that is sponsored.

Wasn't the Sinfin branch supported by Rolls-Royce?

I don't think it was, I know that Rolls-Royce woulden't allow employees to adjust their working hours to time with trains which is partially why the branch never really worked.

 

[furnessvale]

I don't think it was, I know that Rolls-Royce woulden't allow employees to adjust their working hours to time with trains which is partially why the branch never really worked.

No chance of the railway altering train times to match shift changes? I think that would have been more sensible.

I can't recall the buses on Strand Rd at Preston, outside English Electric, departing just before the workers came pouring out.

 

[thenorthern]

No chance of the railway altering train times to match shift changes? I think that would have been more sensible.

I think it was as Rolls-Royce didn't have good road access (it still dosen't today) so each department had its own finishing time to stagger traffic on the road. If I remember there was a 17:15 train at Sinfin Central but after that the next train was at 22:17 meaning that it wasn't convenient to wait for the next train.

 

[Firesprite]

Oxfordshire Narrowboats subsidised a Sunday service to Tackley and Heyford: http://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/train-service-back-on-line-thanks-to-businessman-1-588155

Sunday was changeover day for Hireboats on weekly and weekend hire. Hirers without own transport faced a steep taxi bill from Banbury, Oxford or Bicester.

 

[thenorthern]

I know the Peel Group partially paid for the MediaCityUK expansion on the Metrolink, not sure if they still pay for it.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I think many other stations have attractions or businesses in the name that is sponsored.

I've seen lots of stations with signs below the actual station sign saying "XXX - The home of YYY".

Are these just pure and simple advertising, or something else, for example sponsorship of the station or facilities?

 

[thenorthern]

One thing I have noticed though many businesses will lobby Network Rail and the DfT to provide stations/more services to their location citing "business potential" but they don't want to have to pay towards the cost of running those services.

The situation gets more sticky in one case I know a company managed to get a new line built as well as a very good service on that line as a condition of a large investment despite the fact that the company is known for avoiding tax.

I've seen lots of stations with signs below the actual station sign saying "XXX - The home of YYY".

Are these just pure and simple advertising, or something else, for example sponsorship of the station or facilities?

Just advertising I think although it does make you wonder how much advertising at a station is acceptable as some would argue placing adverts on an integral bit of station information (platform signs) is too far.

I think Reading station was sponsored by ING Direct for a while but I am not sure if it is now.

 

[Spod]

Southend Airport station I think was partially funded by Stobart Rail who manage the station.

They don't just manage it, they built it! Stobart Group also owns the airport, and paid £16 million towards the construction of the station. BBC reports the station cost £12m, but either way, it looks like they paid for it and staff it, rather than the TOC staffing it.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Sirius Minerals, who are building a new potash mine near Whitby, have said that they will provide a subsidy to double the train service on the Middlesborough to Whitby line.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Just advertising I think although it does make you wonder how much advertising at a station is acceptable as some would argue placing adverts on an integral bit of station information (platform signs) is too far.

I think Reading station was sponsored by ING Direct for a while but I am not sure if it is now.

Ah, thanks for this, I thought that it was just advertising.

I don't have any problems with this, although a balance between both areas must be kept, of course. You wouldn't want the station sign to read "Reading (station) is brought to you by ING Direct" for example, would you? However, two signs - "Reading" and below that "The Home of ING Direct" would be and is okay, I think.

I've used your example, incidentally, because I agree that the station did advertise ING Direct at one time, but I don't know whether it does now, either!

 

[coppercapped]

Ah, thanks for this, I thought that it was just advertising.

I don't have any problems with this, although a balance between both areas must be kept, of course. You wouldn't want the station sign to read "Reading (station) is brought to you by ING Direct" for example, would you? However, two signs - "Reading" and below that "The Home of ING Direct" would be and is okay, I think.

I've used your example, incidentally, because I agree that the station did advertise ING Direct at one time, but I don't know whether it does now, either!

The 'ING Direct' signs disappeared when ING was bought by Barclays Bank several years ago. For a short period, a year or so, they were replaced by ones saying something like 'Home of the University of Reading'. After the station rebuild and its managment being taken over by Network Rail there is now no advertising on the running in boards or any other sign with the station's name on it.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The 'ING Direct' signs disappeared when ING was bought by Barclays Bank several years ago. For a short period, a year or so, they were replaced by ones saying something like 'Home of the University of Reading'. After the station rebuild and its managment being taken over by Network Rail there is now no advertising on the running in boards or any other sign with the station's name on it.

Oh, okay, thanks.

I was through there a couple of times earlier this year, but I couldn't remember seeing anything - I obviously didn't!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The branded station signs seem very popular on GWR and VTWC from my experience.