Ideas for seaside specials

[STEVIEBOY1]

I remember in the 1980s and 1990s seeing a train come up from Cornwall/Devon to Rose Grove, took me ages to find out where that was.

 

[bunnahabhain]

EMT run Derby and Nottingham to Skegness and return on Summer Saturday mornings for holidaymakers, and the end of May and August Bank Holiday Mondays an out and back for daytrippers that sits in Skegness for about 7hrs. As shown in my attached pic!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I think a daily:

London Paddington
Reading
Westbury
Taunton
Tiverton Parkway
Exeter St Davids
Exeter Central
Exmouth

service could possibly be successful?

No spare paths on the Exmouth branch and no run round facilities - (so you would need to top and tail with 2 locomotives) , and a bit of a niche market for the London area IMHO.

 

[4141]

A little light reading for those who like to wallow in nostalgia...luckily I caught some of the last couple of years ...
https://sites.google.com/site/glouc...mmer-saturday-surveys-at-cheltenham-1957-1965

 

[theironroad]

A TOC or OAO could easily run a year round "city to coast" special, I and a few others have been looking at various solutions to whom could run a potential Bradford Interchange to Weymouth via Westbury service, we know that BR ran such a service in the past but was lost in the late 1980's.

Since privatisation, the main issue on trying to bring back such a service is down to finding a suitable TOC or OAO whose willing to run such a service, what paths are available and more importantly will it make money besides from the traditional "bucket and spade brigade". Could CrossCountry do it? Could Northern do it? Could West Midlands Railway do it? Could GWR do it? Could DRS be drafted in if two or more TOC want to do it? Might be something to take up with the local MP to see what they say.

So what about those who want to see the sights rather than sit on a litter strewn beach whist parents let their kids run amok?
There's Maiden Castle at Dorchester, Dorchester itself, Poundbury, Bratton Camp and the White Horse in Westbury, the Tithie Barn and Saxon Church in Bradford on Avon, the Royal Crescent, the Circus and other items of interest in the regency city of Bath, there's similar in Cheltenham, there's the Potteries, Marsden Moor, Castle Hill & Jubilee Tower near Huddersfield, Piece Hall and Shibden Hall in Halifax and Bronte Parsonage in Bradford. Then you've got those who'll go and visit the various boozers too, either way such a service will make profit even if its just four trains a day that are timed to benefit those at either end.

To clarify, you're suggesting a 4 train per day, year round direct service from Bradford interchange to Weymouth????

 

[route101]

im sure TPE operated a through portion Glasgow to Blackpool a few years back . Blackpool is the only resort in England that the Scots go en masse .

 

[dk1]

im sure TPE operated a through portion Glasgow to Blackpool a few years back . Blackpool is the only resort in England that the Scots go en masse .

They did. It was an out & back portion that attached at Preston if I remember correctly. Not sure if there are plans in the Nova revolution.

 

[bunnahabhain]

im sure TPE operated a through portion Glasgow to Blackpool a few years back . Blackpool is the only resort in England that the Scots go en masse .

They go to Skegness en masse too, it's the closest Butlins resort. Try the 1245 and 1345 to Skegness from Nottingham in the high summer, you'd think you were north of the border!

 

[53703]

They go to Skegness en masse too, it's the closest Butlins resort. Try the 1245 and 1345 to Skegness from Nottingham in the high summer, you'd think you were north of the border!

Would it be an idea to extend some Doncaster - Lincoln/Sleafords to Skegness? Maybe have units join up at Sleaford with trains to/from Nottingham??

 

[furnessvale]

I remember in the 1980s and 1990s seeing a train come up from Cornwall/Devon to Rose Grove, took me ages to find out where that was.

Obviously someone saw the name "Rose Grove" and decided it sounded prettier than the Cornish Riviera!

 

[bunnahabhain]

Would it be an idea to extend some Doncaster - Lincoln/Sleafords to Skegness? Maybe have units join up at Sleaford with trains to/from Nottingham??

What units? There aren't any spare! One of the ideas is for a third HST set to run from Doncaster, but again, we don't have enough, Nottingham HST men don't go to Doncaster either way, and Lincoln don't sign HSTs! So it's unlikely to ever happen sadly.

 

[route101]

They go to Skegness en masse too, it's the closest Butlins resort. Try the 1245 and 1345 to Skegness from Nottingham in the high summer, you'd think you were north of the border!

Not heard of many go to skeggy .I know a lot go to Ayr and Saltcoats .

 

[6Gman]

A TOC

Then you've got those who'll go and visit the various boozers too, either way such a service will make profit even if its just four trains a day that are timed to benefit those at either end.

Odd then that nobody wishes to run such a service ...

 

[swt_passenger]

To clarify, you're suggesting a 4 train per day, year round direct service from Bradford interchange to Weymouth????

Only just into May, this must surely be the winner of this year’s first prize for fantasy services, sponsored by Crayola.

 

[6Gman]

Only just into May, this must surely be the winner of this year’s first prize for fantasy services, sponsored by Crayola.

Like button please!

 

[6Gman]

Only just into May, this must surely be the winner of this year’s first prize for fantasy services, sponsored by Crayola.

But think of all those people in Westbury who want to see the Piece Hall in Halifax.

 

[47802]

They did. It was an out & back portion that attached at Preston if I remember correctly. Not sure if there are plans in the Nova revolution.

You would think it would be fairly easy for TPE to do this especially when they get there new train fleet there might be a bit more capacity slack in the system, and with Blackpool being electrified as well but of course whether they do it is another matter, as its not a franchise requirement they would have to judge whether or not it would be worthwhile, and of course the route would have to cleared for the new 397's unless you stuck to 185's

Equally it might be more viable for the East Coast Franchise to run a 5 car IET from Scotland to Scarborough rather than a 9 car HST but that would of course depend on the route being cleared for IET's and whether it would require much work.

 

[gtis]

Do they still run EMT to Skegness
I remember seeing 125 intercity running to cleethorpes

 

[class26]

Do they still run EMT to Skegness
I remember seeing 125 intercity running to cleethorpes

There are usually 2 HST`s each way on a summer Saturday. I believe there will be this year also.; Unfortunately what EMT deem to be the summer is too short and ought to be extended a little

 

[Robertj21a]

Given the nature of the British weather, the massive rise in car use, and the reducing interest on beach holidays in the UK, I really can't see why any TOC would risk introducing anything new nowadays
The odds on it making any profit at all must be extremely small and there's probably only a few places that would still be of interest (Blackpool, Skeggy, Scarborough, WSM... ?)

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I remember the Devonian which used to run from Bradford to Paignton in the 1960's. I also remember going on a BR excursion from Bradford to Edinburgh in March 1976 then catching the local train over the Forth Bridge to watch Dunfermline Athletic vs Hamilton Academicals in the long forgotten Scottish Spring Cup.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Do they still run EMT to Skegness
I remember seeing 125 intercity running to cleethorpes

I hope so, I'm on traction refresh tomorrow for it! It's the same times as last year but starting at Nottingham.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

There are usually 2 HST`s each way on a summer Saturday. I believe there will be this year also.; Unfortunately what EMT deem to be the summer is too short and ought to be extended a little

What EMT deem to be the summer is the local school holiday period when they rightly expect demand will be sufficient to justify the service. Any other time the demand is just too weather dependent and not worth the risk.

 

[Deepgreen]

I suppose they've given up running a few twelve carriage crowd busters to Brighton via Dorking and Littlehampton then.

They have when that diversionary route was also closed!

 

[bunnahabhain]

What EMT deem to be the summer is the local school holiday period when they rightly expect demand will be sufficient to justify the service. Any other time the demand is just too weather dependent and not worth the risk.

Correct, the first and last days of operation are usually rather quiet but still worth doing to take the pressure off the normal service.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

They go to Skegness en masse too, it's the closest Butlins resort. Try the 1245 and 1345 to Skegness from Nottingham in the high summer, you'd think you were north of the border!

I went on the Saturday only service in Lincolnshire last summer to Cleethorpes, boarded at Kirton Lindsey, I think it started at Sheffield, a 2 car pacer I think it was and it was very busy indeed, the return journey was quite riotous so I understand.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Obviously someone saw the name "Rose Grove" and decided it sounded prettier than the Cornish Riviera!

I think Rose Grove is in the Manchester area.

 

[furnessvale]

I think Rose Grove is in the Manchester area.

No, it's not that pretty!

 

[gg1]

I remember in the 1980s and 1990s seeing a train come up from Cornwall/Devon to Rose Grove, took me ages to find out where that was.

That one bugged me for quite a while too whenever it appeared on New Street's flapper board, looking in the index of my dads road atlas didn't help either.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Blackpool proudly boasts it has more holiday beds than Portugal. However, most people no longer do Saturday-Saturday, so you are looking at day-trippers if you run extra trains, which is why the travel demand is less. Having spent this weekend at various seasides (on day-trips) I can tell you, they are as popular as ever! But would they have been if the weather had been wet and cold?

I'd love the seaside specials to come back, but we have to be realistic and there is a very limited business case for them