The future?

Six years ago I travelled on six escursions and visited several preserved lines.
This year I took my grand son to the NRM and later in the year, simply because I was in the area I rode on the Llangollen railway. The reduction all down to reduced "disposable income".
No this isn't a sob story (we all have those), but I'm concerned for the future. I'm not the only one in reduced circumstances, so tour operators will see less passengers as will the preservation centres.
Will this in turn lead to fewer excursions being offered by the current operators whilst preserved locos have to wait longer for overhauls etc?

 

no future!:rip:

 

This is probably the most intelligent and important debate we can ever hope to have on this website.

How each and every preserved railway faces the future is the most important thing facing our movement.
Im not talking about bringing new young people into the scene, im talking about how our businesses can remain competitive, how they can promote business, are they hitting the right target markets and are they overpricing themselves.
These are vital questions that all businesses are asking themselves at the moment. How can they remain profitable when disposable income is down?

These questions are not only tough to answer but they are tough to find a solution. The problem with our industry is that it is romanticised. They are run by trusts and volunteer groups who want to see heritage preserved.
This is a vital element, but if the business side isn't maintained in its most slickest form then the heritage will go out the window because the money simply will not be there.
Our industry will face tough times, the world is not out of the woods yet and it is time for all trust run railways to wake up.
Shoddy marketing, a poor business strategies and lack of investment in getting customers through the door will cause some railways to fail.

We face tough times, but with the right decisions and the right volunteers and paid staff working to unified aims will bring each railway to better times. Working together with local businesses not just to promote yourself but promote others around you will be the way forward.

The South Devon Railway is a particularly good example of a railway getting it right.
On the face of it they are the poor relation to the PDSR, but rather than just live with this, they have promoted their engineering side like no other.
They are simply the market leaders and this is no happy accident. This has been hard work, toil, wise investment in both tooling and skilled management and engineering staff.
They have simply looked and thought outside the box at other ways to increase market share in a overcrowded and competitive market.
The railway itself has not stalled and has created 3 in 1 tickets with local attractions.

Im not a member of the SDR in any form, but it is important to note, an outsider sees this.... is your railway making the right choices?

 

Thank you for the opening sentence. As for the 2nd; visit the London Eye and you receive a discount for a Thames cruise. Working together not just with local attractions, but the next railway along may be the future. Norfolk is a trek for many people, so I suggest neighbours such as the MNR and NNR have galas on the same weekend. Then people may be more prepared to travel there from other parts of Britain to spend Saturday at one and Sunday at the other rather than sit at home lamenting "It's a bit of a way to go for a gala". Similarly up in Yorkshire if Keighley and Embsay held simultaneous galas it may produce more visitors, especially if say a shuttle bus connected the two events.

 

Yes, this is a very important debate and sadly I am having to think twice when choosing what to travel on. At the beginning of the year I linesided rather than travelled at two galas due to cost and have only done one full day mainline excursion this year when normally I would do several. The trip we did do was a competition win as well, otherwise we wouldn't have done any! Gala wise I did the Welsh Highland and as always the SVR, howver as a SVR member I had a slight reduction on this which meant I could go for a 2 day rover. For the Welsh Highland we camped rather than a B&B, an experience i can tell you if anybody recalls the weather that weekend! Whilst in Scotland I did take in the Strathspey and a Jacobite, but we had to budget for these out of our holiday savings. With petrol at stupid prices then again you have to consider how you can keep a reasonable cap on travel costs. Travelling up to Barrow Hill for Model Rail live I car shared with a friend and contributed to petrol costs. I will be using a train (and railcard) to get to the NEC for Warley next week. If I couldn't use the railcard it's simple, I wouldn't have gone. A few year's ago I simply wasn't having these concerns. What the railways have to do is try and produce a value for money product, whether that is special offers, collaborative deals or simply putting on a damned good show. So far, most railways seem to be benefitting from the staycation effect - but they are relying on disposable income that is shrinking rapidly.

 

Naturally this is an issue that is becoming more and more poignant in the current economic climate.

On the whole, I think most railways - the larger ones at least - are weathering the storm adequately for now.

Since the 1990s, the leisure market, and the heritage industry which is inside the market, have changed significantly as people have had more leisure time, disposable income and choice - we must remember that it is not just other railways with which a heritage railway competes, but with attractions such as Zoos, Theme parks and Stately homes.

Consequently, on many railways, we have seen a move in management away from heritage principles - although accepting their importance and cherishing them - and along business, competitive leisure principles.

This is no bad thing, and must continue.

However, naturally, a balance must be reached. Not only to fulfil a heritage railway's remit as a living museum, but also to satisfy enthusiasts and volunteers. Volunteers are the bread and butter of a heritage railway's survival and are in the main enthusiasts too - we like to see things done properly. Enthusiasts too, whilst not a core market are a valuable source of income in the form of membership subs, lineside passes and most importantly donations to causes which they hold dear.

Visitors always say in surveys and suchlike that the food was lovely, the toilets were clean and the staff were courteous, but we should ignore even a total historical novice's appreciation of heritage at our peril. No, they don't care that that loco really oughtn't carry that livery with that superheater cover - but they do comment on the pile of luggage (which, paradoxically is technically unauthentic!) appreciatively. They never mention how much they enjoy the ambience in a survery because they take it as read that it will always be there.

So, in my humble opinion, the key to a railway's survival is balance - between providing a modern (clean, comfortable, affordable) day out that will stand up to the worst Alton Towers, Butlins and West Midlands Safari Park can throw at us, and providing an 'authentic' heritage experience (brass, compartments, steam) that leaves the visitor, when they get into the car at the end of the day, feel that they are stepping back into the 21st century after a few hours time out in the mid-20th. Because it is both that they want.

As well, railways should endeavour to seek out new markets - in restoration and maintenance work (as examples, the SDR and SVR have built up enviable engineering capabilities and expertise, the Llangollen is rapidly catching up and is carving out a strong niche in Carriage restoration), and in other ways. Specially themed events can tap into the family market with TV character and Seaside/carnival events, and other markets too such as car and 40s enthusiasts can be attracted too. Effective advertising of catering facilities can result in enhanced corporate use and private events such as birthdays, and weddings. All these, and more, are lucrative sides to the core business that can provide valuable extra income.

 

Very interesting debate, and one that should be going through the minds of most railways, particularly the smaller ones.

Looking through the timetables of various preserved railways, it did surprise me just how many are still weekend railways, even in the summer. This is undoubtedly down to volunteer pools. However there will be many visitors who just turn up "on the off chance" that trains will be running without having bothered to check the timetable/website (this debate has been done before on this forum!). How much business do we miss out on given that there are other tourist attractions nearby that are open right throught the summer.

Railways have to be run more like businesses whether we like it or not. We made a brave decision this year at the Gwili to "go for it" and employ staff and be open as much as we could. It was a big gamble, and it worked in some ways and not in others. However we can feel some doors openning as a result of our willingness to make the transition from part time railway to proper attraction.

Diversification is important- engineering/driver experience/dining trains and the like all form part of an essential mix to create interest and provide several different lines of business. The days of just steaming an engine and watching the public come throught the gate are long gone- at least some of this can be traced back to pre sunday trading laws when railways benefitted from being able to trade when other businesses were shut.

 

The most relevant thread on here for some time. Far more important than the "Let's build a new....", etc ones.

Heritage outfits are facing a double whammy. Falling disposable income, coupled with rising costs, many of which are beyond their control. Seemingly ever rising coal and oil prices, the pressures of wage inflation, etc. These are most definitely affecting the larger outfits, perhaps even more than the smaller ones.

I think the key will be to take difficult "rationalisation" decisions sooner rather than later. Do it when you've got the choice to do it, rather than when the bank tells you that you have to. Review all areas of your activity, and make sure that what you are doing is actually making money. Is that loco on footplate experience, actually making enough money to cover its hire and fuel costs, and still turn a worthwhile profit, for example?
It's going to require sharp management, serious marketing and promotional effort, and a degree of getting back to basics. Focus on issues like fuel economy, staff utilisation, and making the most of the assets that you already have. I would certainly expect to see a lot less in the way of multiple visitor spectacular galas!

Difficult times ahead - I wouldn't want to be the GM of a heritage line right now, as you may have some unpleasant decisions to take.

 

And other railways have suffered. Those dependent on 'day outs' seem to have fared worse than those in holiday areas - people are saving their pennies by holidaying in Britain rather than abroad, and by limiting their days out.

 

My opinion is that this 'problem' isn't exclusive to heritage railways/railway enthusiasm. One of my primary interest is brass banding - I have played in several bands over the years (depending on where I was living) and still play in one permantly, and 'dep' for another. The youngest person in our band is 25, the youngest player in the band I dep for is 19 (but she doesn't attend often, preferring to spend time with her boyfriend, and it's usually her that they ask me to dep for).

It is, in my opinion, the times we live in. The 'Facebook' generation are too busy Facebook-ing, texting/mithering about their mobiles, playing on their X-box/Playstation etc to spend time doing the things that WE did in our youth. Why go out on your bike and meet friends when you can log into your PC and talk to them that way? It all has quite the impact on volunteer numbers on heritage railways and interest in the hobby in general.

 

And, of course, it doesn't help when parents are terrified of letting their kids out of sight thanks to the media!

 

From what I've seen at the Moors, it's not so much a shortage of young people wanting to volunteer, more of adults that are willing to accept the responsibility of supervising them. Hardly surprising, given the invasive bureaucracy that goes with it.

 

At the Mid-Hants, wagon group members are all CRB checked courtesy of the Railway.

This means that most Saturdays 2/3 of the youngsters are working with us. Admitted they are not allowed to use some tools such as angle grinders, however tools such as sanding machines and hand tools are permitted once they have been assesed as being responsible and they really enjoy being hands on.

IMHO these kids are out future and we ignore teaching them at our peril, though I have to admit there are certain people in other departments who have neither the patience nor inclination to do this which boils down to selfishness in my mind.

Best regards
Chris Willis:

 

A very worthwhile discussion, as I think there is no doubt the heritage railway landscape will be significantly different in 10, 15, 20 years time to how it is now. The key to me is that as disposible incomes are squeezed more and more, visitors (for heritage railways are as much a business as any other local attraction) will become more and more discerning. A few thoughts that frequently strike me while visiting railways, including the one I volunteer at, include:-

1. What does your railway look like? Tatty, peeling paint all around and a grubby train, combined with objectionable, surly staff will only give one impression to visitors.

2. Are you making the most of what you have? Sometimes the smaller projects are those which can have a relatively larger impact on the business, whether it be through saving money, clearing an eyesore etc.

3. What do you actually give to your customers? A 10 minute ride through a tree-lined cutting, outside windows so thick with brake dust you can't see anything.

The railways which prosper in the future will be those that consider what their core business is, and focus on developing their offering to this. While I am not advocating throwing the baby out with the bathwater with our heritage credentials, it must be remember that although enthusiasts may be among the most vocal visitors, it is mum, dad and 2.4 children who more frequently pay the bills. The key to squaring this particular circle is leadership; now is not the time for railways to be resting on their laurels and hoping for the best. At the very least this will lead to stagnation, and stagnation is the first step to decline.