Through train to Corfe Castle

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Heard from where?

Why would the unions be preventing additional work for their members by stopping GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and WSR running through services?

[bradshaw]

If I remember correctly, at one time the local bus service was exWestern National and had a number of RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) drivers.

[martyjon]

Great to hear the service is being well used and this with just over a week ago from being first publicised. Shows there is a market for this kind of service. Oh to see this on the West Somerset Railway.

I heard that the Railway Unions are stopping such on the WSR. Par for the course.

When then WSR branch was closed by BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) the replacement road services personnel were represented unionwise by the NUR, now of course the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers). I'm not a historian but Google might come up with the history of why through rail services are currently prevented as a regular occurence. Specials do run onto WSR metals and a few years ago there were a series of Bristol - Minehead services run by the defunct Fragonnset outfit. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have run shuttles for WSR gala days and I travelled the line in a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) liveried 150 from and to Bristol a couple of years ago in connection with the launch of the WSR AWAYDAY promotion. I have also travelled the WSR line on 220 001 which was renamed Somerset Voyager from its original name of Maiden Voyager at Minehead. Then of course was it last summer an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was planned to run to Minehead from Paddington but due to gauging issues at Blue Anchor was only permitted to Bishops Lydeard, there is a thread of that excursion on this forum.

Yes it would be nice to have a regular shuttle from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard but "politics" for the present preclude this eventuality.

[JayMac]

I'm aware of the historical union issues involving bus drivers and the WSR. Is there really still a militant NUR/RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) cabal at First Bus's Taunton depot, and within the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train driving ranks, 40 odd years after the original dispute?

The RMT certainly haven't 'blacked' the WSR in recent years. Numerous GWR organised rail tours have made it onto WSR metals with no union rumblings. I think it highly unlikely that unions would stand in the way of a regular Summer Saturday through working similar to that on the Swanage Railway.

CJB666 was intimating that there are current union problems stopping GWR and WSR working together. It'd be nice if there was a source for that.

I think it's just a lack of will from GWR and WSR. Different mindsets to those at SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) and Swanage Railway.

[JayMac]

On the 'Saturday Special' again today.

Boarded again at Maiden Newton. Much busier than last Saturday. I'd say about 3/4 full across the 5 carriages.

[Timmer]

So pleased to read that BNM. After spending all the money on the infrastructure to enable trains to run regularly off the mainline it’s good to see it being used.