West Somerset Railway - Bishops Lydeard to Minehead (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The volunteers are doing an excellent job trying to keep the show on the road.

The board of directors on the other hand...

Without good leadership, no amount of goodwill will keep the show on the road. I note that the WSR is taking steps to beef up its board - I don't have a view on whether this will be effective, but I certainly wish them well

A new team can rarely produce results 'overnight' and sadly that's sometimes what's 'needed'. I would be very much inclined to wait and see how things go before commenting in the 'honeymoon period'.   The volunteers doing an "excellent job of keeping the show on the road" is encouraging as it would indicate the faith of that army in a positive future for the railway.

[grahame]

From Somerset County Gazette

AFTER undertaking more than £100K of infrastructure work, overhauling stall training and sorting out its finances - West Somerset Railway is ready to reopen.

The railway faced an extended winter closure following an inspection from the Office of Rail and Road in November.

Bosses at the railway ordered the closure from January 2 until April in order to carry out a ‘significant number of improvements’ highlighted by the inspection body.

But things are back on-track for the beloved railway, as service begin to return to normal on Saturday, March 30.

The reopening announcement comes following another inspection of the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) on Friday, March 22.

WSR plc chairman, Jon Jones Pratt, said: “The ORR inspectors were very impressed by all of the massive progress across the board that we have made during a relatively short period, and I’m delighted they gave us a clean bill of health to re-open this coming weekend.

[broadgage]

One way in which I feel that the WSR could do better (and has done better in the past) is regarding the arrangements for shareholders at the AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) and travel thereto and return.

Until a few years ago, the AGM was held in Minehead with a shareholders special train being put on from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return.

This was stopped a few years ago and was IMO^▸ (in my opinion) a backward step. The withdrawal of the special train, with buffet AND meal service, and its replacement with a couple of second class carriages attached to a service train was in my view a backward step.
I own shares in the railway, I considered buying more shares but decided not to after this.

I appreciate that running the special train costs money, and would not expect it to be free, a significant fare was payable and an increase in this seems reasonable.
3 classes were previously offered, second, first, and dining, usually hauled by one of the larger engines.

It was rather a comedown from champagne served at ones table and consumed from proper glasses, to beer in a plastic cup.

[bradshaw]

There is an article on the WSR in the Railway Magazine for April. Starting on p24 it is titled “Back from the Brink”

[Red Squirrel]

There is an article on the WSR in the Railway Magazine for April. Starting on p24 it is titled “Back from the Brink”

To expand on this:

The 6-page feature paints a very sobering picture of the predicament the WSR found itself in towards the latter half of 2018. As well as financial and organisational problems that required urgent action, the railway needed to spend £140,000 on immediate track repairs just to get the line up to a standard where the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) was happy for it to run trains; it needs to spend £500,000 a year for the next 10 years on its permanent way to reverse previous 'managed decline'.

WSR chair Jonathan Jones-Pratt is nonetheless reasonably upbeat about the future:

The business is safe. We're able to trade for 2019. We will need to review the business model again in July, ahead of the next trough when winter comes around again.

However, it is my intention that we act as responsible directors and as a responsible business so that we never again find ourselves in the situation we're in today.

^{Source: The Railway Magazine, April 2019}

[bradshaw]

This appeared via Twitter this morning

https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/17576597.west-somerset-railway-train-services-from-taunton-to-bishops-lydeard-could-be-set-to-leave-the-platform-after-60000-boost/

[Cava]

Good to see archive photo from the This is the Age of the Train Weekend.

[Timmer]

This appeared via Twitter this morning
https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/17576597.west-somerset-railway-train-services-from-taunton-to-bishops-lydeard-could-be-set-to-leave-the-platform-after-60000-boost/

Great news, doesn't say when it's starting though. Anyone know?

[Lee]

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/railway-coach-west-somerset-railway-2832942

A West Somerset Railway coach has been targeted by vandals in what's being described as "mindless vandalism".

The coach, stabled overnight at Bishops Lydeard in sidings, is believed to have been struck on Monday evening (April 29) at around 9pm.

A spokesman for the railway said the coach sustained damage including broken glass, with three large carriage windows and two droplight windows in doors being smashed in the attack.

A member of the public contacted the West Somerset Railway about the damage, and general manager Paul Conibeare attended the scene and informed the police.

It's estimated the damage will cost £1,000 to replace and repair.

The railway station has since launched a fundraiser to fund the repairs.

The coach has now been moved to Minehead for repairs in the workshops there, which will hopefully take just a few days to complete if replacement glass is in stock.

[JayMac]

There's video floating around on social media apparently showing the eejit doing the damage while being filmed by a mate.

Hopefully that will aid the police in their detection of the miscreants and aid in their prosecution.

[Timmer]

There's video floating around on social media apparently showing the eejit doing the damage while being filmed by a mate.

Hopefully that will aid the police in their detection of the miscreants and aid in their prosecution.

I certainly hope so.

[GBM]

Being an 'oldie', I don't understand the craze for filming yourself doing everything (including eating).
Whilst I can understand filming something lovely; I fail to understand how filming yourself damaging something, then posting it to show off to the world, won't have follow up consequences.
Perhaps the next generation of filming everything will include bank robberies, etc? 

[Robin Summerhill]

Perhaps the next generation of filming everything will include bank robberies, etc? 

No need to do bank jobs any more when they can get just as money out of telephone and email scams...

[grahame]

From the Minehead Rail Link Group

A trail-blazing trial shuttle service linking the national rail network with West Somerset Railway - due to begin this month - still has no known starting date, timetable or details of prices, frustrated railway supporters claimed this week.

Article continues ....

[Timmer]

I’ve been regularly checking the WSR website hoping for news on this as want to visit the railway this Summer by travelling solely by train.

It’s concerning to say the least that nothing is being said. Doesn’t look good.