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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    If only that was a quote from JJP himself. <BJ>
     
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  2. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    They are indeed so entitled but given their known interests we inevitably speculate about what business opportunities they have have perceived.
     
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  3. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    I am not defending anyone, just providing a viewpoint about reopening.

    Actually I suspect the cost goes up the longer the period of shutdown and you are quite right that there are costs that cannot be avoided.

    Yes all of your other points about risk of delay in reopening are valid. However, no one yet knows how many people will come out and ride the trains. Bookings are good some places particularly in August, but we can still not be sure of the situation. Maybe there will be a lot of staycation, but maybe there will not.


    Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk
     
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  4. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    2hr on platform and a bus trip along the parade for £5. No thanks.
     
  5. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    The American railway magnate, E.H.Harriman, is famously quoted as saying that for each dollar saved by closing a line, two will be spent in opening it again.

    Robin
     
  6. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    But no-one knows how many will want to visit next year, either. I hope that doesn't mean they won't open then, for the same reason...
     
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  7. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    At least the railways that did open and trade, will at least know what works, and what does not work, they will have an idea of the costs, and will have hopefully have had some revenue to bank from this years services.
    What ever the outcome, the biggest hurdle possibly will be in the state of the track, if your track is in need of attention, and maintaince has been neglected you will not even be able to run any trains, if its deemed as not being safe to do so. add on to this the recertification of loco's and coach exams, which have to be done anyway, if nothing is done, even opening at Easter 2021 might be in doubt.
     
  8. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    But there always remains the "opportunity purchase" by visitors who do not plan specific activities during their visits. Many visitors are attracted to holiday centres for a specific activity (e.g. visit a heritage line) but many are attracted by a range of events which will be sampled once in the area. Thus if the heritage line is operating the line will be sampled; if not other attractions will be sampled. The WSR has to engage with a more commercial mind-set and provide an attraction else it will simply be ignored and cease to exist - permanently. Or is that the intent of the present PLC Board ?
     
  9. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    As I said earlier in the thread, Butlins are offering less attractions than usual so those staying could well be looking at attractions in the area they wouldn’t normally consider.

    A commercially minded operation would capitalise on that usually.
     
  10. baldbof

    baldbof Well-Known Member Friend

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    Says it all in very few words.
     
  11. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I am expecting the PLC to shortly announce a reopening plan or that it will have to cease to trade
     
  12. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Just out of curiosity, if you own and use/hire out a loco do you have an operator license?
     
  13. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Indeed. It can’t carry on in limbo for much longer.
     
  14. Triumph 2500S

    Triumph 2500S Well-Known Member

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    But sadly the WSR has never had that type of mindset!
     
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  15. ikcdab

    ikcdab Member Friend

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    Perhaps it was wrong in 1971, but as the drive then was to move to road transport, then understandable. The railways had to cut losses.
    However, with hindsight, it was very good that it did close. If it had stayed open then we would today just have the basic rail way...look at exmouth, barnstaple, st Ives etc to see what it would be like now. Almost certainly the whole of minehead station site would have been cleared and the buildings demolished. So from that point of view, be thankful that it did close....and be thankful to those who worked to reopen it.
    Ian Coleby
     
  16. Triumph 2500S

    Triumph 2500S Well-Known Member

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    Sadly the least work involves the latter!
     
  17. JBTEvans

    JBTEvans Well-Known Member

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    Will the WSR PLC really go bust? It wouldn't be in the interest of the SCC to let it do so, especially with all the stuff about getting a new operator involved.
     
  18. 60044

    60044 Member

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    We know that at least some of them read this thread and surely this is one rumour/suspicion where a categoric denial of any such intent should be easy to provide. Not only would a deliberate effort to run the Plc into the ground for personal gain (i.e. to acquire the assets of a liquidated company at a bargain rate) be a conflict of interest, but it would surely be an attempt to defraud the majority of shareholders - imho, the absence of such a denial is cause for concern.
     
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  19. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    The interest of the SCC is to secure the future of the site - irrespective of how. If there is a railway that attracts income to the local economy then the SCC will "invest" by allowing the land to be made available to the railway; if there is no railway then the SCC will "invest" by selling the land for building with the double benefit of cash from land sales plus on-going income from local taxes paid by householders. The SCC wins either way; if there is a railway there is an attraction generating income for the local economy; if there is no railway there is income generated for the SCC.
     
  20. ikcdab

    ikcdab Member Friend

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    Oh rubbish! I can think of dozens of examples where the WSR has acted very commercially. Dunster castle trains, hestercombe, character days, fish and chip specials, cream tea trains....I could list many more. Over the last few years there has been a very active and ambitious commercial arm.
    Ian Coleby
     

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