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Swanage Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Rumpole, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Delivered by seagulls, no doubt! :Meh:
    I remembered hearing that myself, so (for once) actually had a check before posting. Official version .... urban legend, as apparently they've been operating over the Merseyrail 3rd rail lines into Liverpool for yonks. If anything (other than good taste) prevents Pacers treading southern metals, t'ain't the presence of 3rd rail.
     
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  2. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

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    Thank you for again reminding us of this crucial information. In reading it does one detect that there is an inclination on all sides to want to be able to make this work? i am a dyed in the wool preservationist BUT, as in life generally, matters evolve and if an era of private/public partnerships is going to be the next step for some Heritage railways as" Railways Reconnected" policies of the present Government come to reality, we cannot be afraid to embrace them where they are beneficial for the general(and not just enthusiasts) public good.
     
  3. 80104

    80104 Member

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    Yes they will be fully trained but full time and / or paid I do not know. It was my understanding that footplate crew, guards, TTIs, signallers, station staff are volunteers. The paid staff are in LCW, PWay, Estates Management, S and T? Operations (Management), Customer Service (Reservations Staff and some booking office staff, catering, retail) Finance. Obviously there are a mix of paid and volunteer staff in these departments.

    I do not think that the service would be of benefit per se can be questioned. It would enhance public transport provision within Purbeck and provide connections to outside of the local area.

    Considerable sums of money have been invested in the refurbishment of the DMUs, the signalling system interface, all the pway works between Norden and the Network rail Boundary, the installation of the level crossing at Norden. Monies have also been spent on consultants fees for the Operators Licence, driver medicals and training and the DMU diesel depot at Corfe Castle Station.

    I suspect that the feasibility study and business plan are more about the differing levels of service which could be provided (seasonal tourist, full year, full year plus commuter) any capital required for infrastructure / assets for each of those service levels and any revenue support likely to be required for each of those service levels.

    My view remains that a seasonal tourist service can be viable with minimal, if any, revenue support being required. Other service levels will require revenue support to a much greater degree and some capital investment. My view also remains that SR needs to balance a number of objectives: (1) it must operate a trial service to test demand - the longer the delay the more the relevance of the 2017 trial is lost but the trial has to be a summer trial ie it is too late now for 2021 (2) the trial needs to be carefully planned to gather as much market data as is possible and not withstanding keeping it simple, preferably to try and test two operating scenarios - the 4 a day Swanage <> Wareham scenario and the 5 or 6 a day Corfe Castle <> Wareham Scenario.
     
  4. Andy Moody

    Andy Moody Member

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    No you have not got it wrong. All class 14X Pacers have always been prohibited to run on the southern region.
     
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  5. Woof Mk2

    Woof Mk2 Member

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    Dont worry the crossing will be closed one day as it is NOT a public right of way.
     
  6. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    When I think back to my childhood, Level Crossings had a signal box alongside where a man was responsible for ensuring that when a train was due the gates were shut stopping all access to the railway. Then and only then was the train signaled to proceed. That level of protection has not been achieved by the use of automation and humans will always do daft things. The crossing will have to go and lets hope that it does before a life is lost.
     
  7. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

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    I got diverted onto the GWSR thread and subsequently a video on that Railway's track bed Broadway to Honeybourne. They have four miles of hard slog with some very expensive civil engineering to think about1. Makes our connection conundrum pale in comparison. 80104s measured and factual response is a goal to strive for!
     
  8. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I think you are underestimating the operational and regulatory complexity of running a heritage line service on a busy Network Rail electrified mainline. By contrast, a GWSR extension - without wishing to downplay it - is at least largely a series of tasks broadly within their own control.

    Making such things pay is a question for both schemes of course!

    Tom
     
  9. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

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    Perhaps we will NOT be running a HR style operation on to the national network unless NR are operating the trains. When NR wanted to return to Okehampton BARS and the lines of scrap at Meldon had to go...and they did!
    Would you be happy to see NR trains operating into Swanage,Reasonable or no? Changing trains twice off the Network to get there defeats the whole purpose of an amenity service. Before closure there was one station on the branch,Corfe Castle and I think that it makes perfect sense for incoming traffic now to do likewise. If you want the SR experience get off at Corfe or go through to Swanage. Taxis from the Station to anywhere in Swanage used to be very reasonable. Not every passenger is coming just for a day trip.
     
  10. Andy Moody

    Andy Moody Member

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    Really! If that is the case, why is it still open now?
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2021
  11. Woof Mk2

    Woof Mk2 Member

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    Because, at the moment, there is no alternative route.
     
  12. Hirn

    Hirn Member

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  13. 80104

    80104 Member

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    Travelled down the A351 from Bakers Arms to Swanage this morning. Nose to bumper / crawling from BA to Wareham then busy but free flowing to Swanage.

    Another illustration that reducing congestion in Purbeck needs to be focused more on getting traffic off the road between Bakers Arms and Wareham than between Wareham and Swanage.

    As others have alluded to making rail attractive (or non car based travel) needs a multi party approach not just that of the rail TOCS / HRs alone.
     
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  14. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    That really is a key point regarding the TOC. If you do not own a car fine, but assuming you own a car then it needs to be attractive to use the train. At random I looked at Winchester to Wareham which takes me about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 from Swanage to drive normally.
    On an anytime fare for a family of two adults and two kids £115.80 return. Yes you can get cheaper advances (but the weather could be bad that day) and you may have a railcard but it does prohibit the spontaneous lets go to Swanage by train discussion, especially if you have to drive to a station and pay to park as well. If SWR do not reintroduce the two trains an hour service every day (I do have my doubts) then it becomes an even bigger hill to climb.
    What does it cost to drive when you have already sunk the cost of the car anyway?
     
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  15. Andy Moody

    Andy Moody Member

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    What happened to the scheme to build the Sandeford bypass? Another pipe dream.
     
  16. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

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    a compelling reason for an examination of the Network fare system. On a couple of vacations recently I have travelled by train in Portugal. 50% off for seniors including 1st class. Amazingly the service to the eastern Algarve is electrified and it is projected to do likewise towards Lagos in the west. I think its EU funded but that is another discussion!!
     
  17. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    That seems to me to be a distortion of the reality - NR only returned to Okehampton because BARS went bust and the line then became available- they did not force their way back in. I'm not sure why the lines of scrap at Meldon had to go, they weren't in the way of the NR operations.
     
  18. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

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    they paved paradise and put up another bypass? Can you see that happening in the present political climate??
     
  19. Rumpole

    Rumpole Part of the furniture

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    With the present incumbents in Downing Street, I can see it more than the equivalent rail investment...
     
  20. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

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    SWR have released their post COVID proposal for implementation in December 2022.

    https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/timetables/timetable-consultation-december-2022

    You will note a few changes to the current timetable between Waterloo and Weymouth.

    1) The reintroduction of the 2 trains per hour between the Capital and Weymouth each way. "We are proposing to restore the Weymouth services to two trains an hour in both off-peak and peak periods providing additional journey opportunities for leisure travel. Additionally, one of the Weymouth portions will divide at Bournemouth to form a portion to Poole providing a more even frequency at Branksome and Parkstone, as well as additional journey
    opportunities on fast services to London."

    2) The Waterloo to Poole stopping service being split into twe services.
    1) A Waterloo to So'ton Central service
    2) A So'ton Central to Bournemouth service (no layover in Brockenhurst and not going through to Poole).
    1 train each way per hour.

    As well the Bournemouth Mainline, there are changes to the other routes they serve including changes to the West of England where 3x post PM peak trains (Mon-Thu) will operate each way between Salisbury and Reading vice Waterloo.

    The Island line remains at 2 trains per hour (not all trains will stop at Smallbrook Junction).

    For those visiting the MHR by train, then the Waterloo to Alton service will revert to the May 2019 timetable with 2x trains in each direction per hour.
     

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