I wouldn't call it "dire". I've been there several times including very recently and I've seen a lot worse - many places that are more run down, more derelict buildings, more closed shops, more begging. I'd rate it as "mediocre".
I live a similar drive from Peterborough to all of Lincoln, Leicester, & Nottingham. Peterborough has long come bottom of the list to visit, for any discretionary purpose.
Oh yes, I'd agree Lincoln, Leicester, & Nottingham are all better; but I'd class them as "superior" and stick with "mediocre", not "dire" for Peterborough. Anyhow I guess this is getting a bit off topic!
In fairness, Peterborough does have a spectacular Early English Gothic cathedral....and the medieval parish church midway between the cathedral and the station is rather nice too. There are also two quite impressive mosques that are visible from the ECML to the North of the station. I would, however, agree that the rest of it is pretty meh!
The Bluebell must be one of the best connected lines there is. The Southern service is so regular that the Bluebell services don't have to match. There is a Southern service from EGR every 20 minutes, taking next Sunday afternoon as an example. And most of them take less than 30 minutes to reach East Croydon.
If we're talking about Grade 1 listed ecclesiastical buildings, I prefer the one with a very tall spire visible from the line one station north of Peterborough
The state of the railway’s finances is already precarious enough without adding all the costs of running a mainline service. I doubt it would even be that popular after the first week. If it ever happened (and I think a Lewes extension and services to Haywards Heath are more likely) it would be using the Thumper rather than steam hauled stock.
There’s engineering works on the BML over the next few weekends, but generally the service is every 30 minutes direct to London Victoria. It only takes 40 minutes to East Croydon and 1 hour to Victoria - definitely the quickest form of transport.
If it’s Burn’s Night it’s WHISKY, not whiskey.
When travelling from East Grinstead, passing an Uckfield DMU enroute, I have wondered about Southern running an East Croydon to Horsted Keynes shuttle, perhaps during the diesel gala. Perhaps they would have a spare two car unit on the Sunday...
There is probably something in that. Peterborough Cathedral is also struggling financially, not having the same tourism market as other cathedral cities
OK, I'll give you Swindon. I think it pretty much fits "in a wealthy part of the country with excellent transport links, a decent economy, and a genuine (railway) history". Seemed like a run-down hole last time I was there, just a few years ago, and makes Peterborough seem quite pleasant!
But the NVR has the large collection of foreign rolling stock, which I think the general public will notice and be interested in far more than something like the GCR's double track.
It's not too far from Cambridge and is near the A1.
While the foreign rolling stock probably attracts a very niche crowd, the foreign/uninspiring rolling stock on the line probably puts off many more. Easier said than done, but with some decent rolling stock the line would do a lot better. I visited when Flying Scotsman and Britannia were present simultaneously and it was busy without any passenger trains even running that day. Am I going to drive two hours for a ride on a pacer or a peak though, when I can do that a lot closer to home if I wanted- probably not!
Are they intending on having the Thumper passed for mainline use?
No. The only addition to the Thumper will be a third coach to add some extra capacity. I doubt anything else from the Bluebell will get mainline certified other than for drags.
It is unviable because it would require a bridge over the River Nene.
Not to mention that the Oundle station site is a) well out of the town and b) covered in houses
And wouldn't it just be a case of an extension from one place that nobody has ever heard of to another place that nobody has ever heard of. Is Oundle really a major tourist destination? I had never heard of it before.
Oundle's sort of a smaller version of Stamford, so I can see some value - certainly more than most of the stops on the present NVR. But not that would transform the railway and bring in huge amounts of new business.
As I said, I'm very fond of the foreign rolling stock. Also I think the general public might well be impressed with it once they are there, but I'm not sure it would be at all easy to attract them with it in the first place. Maybe they need to use it more and promote it more.
I trust they are offering whisky, not whiskey, on Burns Night of all nights!The Spa Valley Railway is making good use of its resources by running Caledonian 812 class No.828 on a Burns night dining special on the 24th of January, complete with whiskey, haggis and a piper playing at Tunbridge Wells West station.
It's certainly a good idea, and it makes use of combining existing concepts such as Whiskey specials, dining trains, and a hired in Caledonian 812, especially during a month like January.
Event Burns Night Dining Experience : Spa Valley Railway | Steam Trains & Family Events in Tunbridge Wells
Enjoy steam train rides, family days out, dining trains and special events on the Spa Valley Railway, running between Tunbridge Wells and Eridge in Kent.spavalleyrailway.co.uk
Yes, it's definitely Scotch Whisky. I made a typo on the original post by mistake.
It might not be you. Autocorrect, being overly influenced by ignorant US tech bros, often silently alters whisky to whiskey.
The normal service is half hourly, although Monday to Wednesday it is only hourly for a few hours between the peaks. The 20 minute frequency for three weekends is because of the Brighton line closures.
Even a half-hourly service is good. It is certainly more frequent than any service the Bluebell themselves could run to East Croydon.
