Recent content by paul1609

My next trip booked to Norwich from Appledore has counted place reservations for Ashford Int to London Bridge, Liverpool St to Norwich and Norwich to Stratford and Stratford Int to Ashford.

I think thats a little unfair. In the historical market you would have been right but the reality is that has ended and the world has changed. Running a crowded service to a honeypot seaside result no longer guarntees that you can cover the running costs let alone make a profit. The other run to...

I dont think this is correct I travel on cross london advances via HS1 and on SE Mainline services and they always have a counted place, specific train reservation. Maybe not on metro/Thameslink services?

Im confused, this is what Im seeing for 8th Apil

Id do Flixbus Gatwick to Cardiff quicker and generally cheaper than NatEX. If you require a local train in South Wales go to Newport and change there the bus stop is outside the station and it avoids the long crawl in to Cardiff around all those industrial estate roundabouts to Cardiff Bay.

its a bit strange because SRPS, Hastings Diesels & London Underground who are not mainline operators have derogations. WRC doesnt currently hold a derogation for the class 117.

I think the general concencus amoungst Heritage Railways is that you cant break even on a plain jane public transportesque service as most of us would have run 10 years ago. The way to profitability now is deeemed as being added value in the form of "experiences" or added value "dining" or other...

Does the Swanage or any of its subcontractors (other than LUL for the 4TC) currently have any exemption for the Class 117 or any other Swanage based rolling stock to operate on the national network? The list of the exemptions on the ORR website suggests not unless Im missing something.

In all fairness (I don't have any connection with the Swanage and my last visit was to a diesel gala the best part of 10 years ago) if you are looking to provide a train a BR DMMU is likely to provide by far the lowest running cost (in my experience a fraction of the cost of even a small diesel...

£1.2 million would be a lot of money for most heritage railways I agree but for a local council who didn't have engineering facilities of their own was £400 k per vehicle unreasonable to restore a unit to mainline running which included new wheel sets? Not sure what other work was included. When...

Do the DMUs belong to the Swanage or the council?

I think that buying adjacent land for the Swanage will be very difficult if they don't own the freehold, especially since as I understand it most of the adjacent land is within an aonb.

Dont know about the advances but the Southern portion working always seems to be problematic at timetable changes. its almost a given that the PIS on SWR run stations will show the Portsmouth to Victoria service as going to Horsham for about 2 days following a new timtable. Id guess that the...

Am I right in thinking that the Swanage Railway isnt a landowner as such and it just leases the line and properties from various local councils wheras the IOWSR and ourselves at the K&ESR own the freehold of the line and station sites?

Indeed I think this extension all but means Ive been on the offer for a year now. One thing it has caused me to do is scrutinise rail spending. I dont think I realised until I started buying the e vouchers just how much I was spending on rail.