Will GBR have a charter or excursion unit?

[Helvellyn]

GBR needs to sort Sunday being part of the normal working week right across its organisation. Even where it is included I suspect it will need contract changes because some TOCs still guarantee 50% of Sundays off, based on historic service levels. Getting a consistent seven day railway needs to be a priority before thinking about trying to run ad hoc charters.

 

[Yew]

In the current market would there be a demand for a GWR IET to Blackpool or other permutations? Whilst Intercity had their charter unit I cannot see GBR running railtours. Perhaps if the Merrymaker market could be revived but I expect it would be left for charter operators to do.

On the East Coast, it's not that long since EMR/EMT were using HSTs to bolster weekend services from Nottingham to Skegness.

 

[DarloRich]

Do people think GBR will have a charter or excursion unit?

Commuter trains deployed at weekends? Hybrid Intercity trains to the coastal resorts? Or will trains be used to soak up weekend demand?

no. It is not 1976.

Not this again. The ROSCO owners did not buy individual trains from BR, they bought a business with assets and liabilities and paid a price for that business.

Exactly!

 

[pdeaves]

Under 'old BR' there was a charter unit because 'old BR' was the only company running trains. In the brave new world there will still be umpteen other operators with capability to run charters. There is no need for GBR to do so.