Poll - Should Wightlink Ferries Become Part of Great British Railways?

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Here's an interesting question for you:

https://onthewight.com/when-is-the-fastcat-evening-service-coming-back/

When is the FastCat evening service coming back?

Since Wightlink’s FastCat was reinstated following Lockdown #2, the late night service has remained suspended.

The last FastCat from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight is 8.20pm, meaning Islanders going out in Portsmouth or Southsea are limited in where they can go and how long they can stay on the other side of the water.

It also means the latest train from London that someone can catch and expect to cross the Solent using the catamaran is 6.30pm from Waterloo.

However, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic it was possible to catch a train from Waterloo at 9pm, connect with the 10.45pm sailing from Portsmouth Harbour and travel back to Ryde, Shanklin, Ventnor and Wroxall by Island Line train and Southern Vectis bus.

Seamless connection from London
Clearly not everyone is bothered about getting back from London in the evening, but there are a number of people who live here and carry out work for clients up there.

The advantage to the Island as a whole is that it brings money to the Island to be spent here.

Forced to use car
One Wightlink commuter tells News OnTheWight they have been trying to seek clarity from the ferry operator as to when they intend to reinstate the late night service, but has not had much luck.

The commuter says,

“At a time when it is imperative to reduce carbon emissions, Wightlink seem to plan to force Island residents to use cars instead of more sustainable modes of transport or just stay at home.

“If this is to be a permanent arrangement then the millions of pounds spent on upgrading the Island Line will be largely wasted.”

Wightlink: Unable to share information about future timetable changes
The response that the commuter received from Wightlink when he asked whether and when the late night service would be reinstated reads:

“I can understand you being eager to get back to travelling later in the evening! Unfortunately, we are unable to share any information about future timetable changes, although we always make sure that customers are the first to know when changes are confirmed.

“We are delighted to have started to reopen for business on all our usual routes and are monitoring passenger numbers carefully to ensure we are meeting the needs of customers in a way that’s sustainable for our business.”

Wightlink: Get the car ferry
News OnTheWight has also contacted Wightlink to see whether they are able to shed any more light on the situation.

The response we received was,

“Currently we are carrying less than 50 per cent of normal passenger numbers on the FastCats and no decision has been taken on running more services.

“Car ferries from Fishbourne to Portsmouth operate later in the evening and there’s plenty of room for foot passengers.”

Using the car ferry does not have the advantage of landing in at Ryde where they is easy access to the train line (when it’s working) or the range of bus routes.

For many living in Venntor, Shanklin, Sandown etc, Fishbourne is effectively in the middle of nowhere.

Appeal to MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)
The Island commuter also got in touch with the MP’s office, appealing for Bob Seely to contact Wightlink and ask them to clarify their long term plans for the Ryde Pier to Portsmouth Harbour catamaran service.

Bob Seely’s office have advised that this matter “has now been raised with Wightlink”.

Nationalise the Catamaran
The commuter also asked the MP to speak with the Secretary of State for Transport about the FastCat.

He wants to know if the Sec of State will consider incorporating the FastCat route into the new Great British Railways operation?

He says,

“After all, it’s raison d’etre is to connect two rail terminals.”

He didn’t get a response to that question, but has chased it up and we’ll update once we hear back.

Of course, the ferry services in question were previously run by the British Railways Board, and then latterly by British Rail subsidiary Sealink up until 1984.

[eightf48544]

Yes if we had a sensible integrated transport policy. It could be run as concession with integrated timetables..

[broadgage]

I voted "no" and was clearly in a small minority in so doing.

My reason is that I feel that running the railways will be enough of a challenge for GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) and that ships as well might be too much.
Whilst I hope that GBR will be a forward step, I have some misgivings about the idea and feel ships should only come under their control after some years of satisfactory railway operation.

[grahame]

I voted "no" and was clearly in a small minority in so doing.

My reason is that I feel that running the railways will be enough of a challenge for GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) and that ships as well might be too much.
Whilst I hope that GBR will be a forward step, I have some misgivings about the idea and feel ships should only come under their control after some years of satisfactory railway operation.

The voting has swung - perhaps you have had some influence?

I'm not sure what the "right" answer is ... the strategic outcome I would like to see is all modes of public transport connecting through and providing integrated information and ticketing, including looking after the through passenger's interests when things go pear-shaped.     

Whether your feelings that taking on ships would be too much for GBR, or whether a separate / linked divisions who know about boats rather than trains should be done from "day one" ... I know not.  What is "interesting" is a significant investment in the railway from Ryde Pier Head to Shankin, and a good service from many places to Portsmouth Harbour - both becoming GBR, with an apparently unconnected and withering service between the two parts of the network. For that reason, I would like to see it under the management for passenger experience of a single entity - looking after your journey from Brighton to Brading, London to Lake or Shoreham to Shankin.

[TaplowGreen]

I voted "no" and was clearly in a small minority in so doing.

My reason is that I feel that running the railways will be enough of a challenge for GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) and that ships as well might be too much.
Whilst I hope that GBR will be a forward step, I have some misgivings about the idea and feel ships should only come under their control after some years of satisfactory railway operation.

Agreed. "Stick to the knitting".

[Bob_Blakey]

I voted 'No' because:

GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) should just stick to the 'day job'; there are far too many examples of companies getting involved with enterprises in which they have no expertise, making a complete mess of it, and wrecking the whole operation.
Wightlink is a Private Limited Company - I am not a supporter of compulsory renationalisation.

[Clan Line]

I voted "yes" because of my experience of living in Ryde for several years. My "yes" refers only to the Portsmouth Harbour - Ryde Pierhead link, which is just a link in the rail service to the Island and is also used (as I did) as a daily commuter link by many non rail travellers.
It makes little sense to have (what will be) a nationalised rail service with a privately owned ferry in the middle of it. If, for purely commercial reasons, Wightlink decided to close down this link at some time in the future they would have GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) over a very large barrel - it might as well be nationalised from the outset The car ferries can carry on as a privately owned company and compete with Red Funnel. The car ferries are most definitely not rail business - except for carrying new rolling stock over to the Island perhaps ....

[GBM]

British Railways ran many ferry services in their time and all provided a rail connection.
Scotland, Wales, North Sea, Dover Straits, Isle of Wight, even the Dartmouth ferry.

[ChrisB]

Surely the andwer here is to initially concentrate on getting the late night service reinstated in the most popular days of the week for late night entertainment - so Fridays & Saturdays? If necessary, the local councils/LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about)(s) coupd subsidise the costs if doing this would result in additional losses?

Prove there’s a ‘use it ir lose it’ case for say 6 to 9 months - to the end of the year?

[grahame]

Surely the andwer here is to initially concentrate on getting the late night service reinstated in the most popular days of the week for late night entertainment - so Fridays & Saturdays? If necessary, the local councils/LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about)(s) coupd subsidise the costs if doing this would result in additional losses?

Prove there’s a ‘use it ir lose it’ case for say 6 to 9 months - to the end of the year?

Provided you also have one eye on the long term if it works.  If a council or LEP is going to subsidise it need to be prepared to do so well beyond your trial period.   And six to nine months is perilously short (you need 3 years), especially in the current unstable passenger flow conditions with coronavirus and with booking and reservation systems which, frankly, seem designed to confuse and put people off.

[ChrisB]

‘Works’ would mean enough passengers to make those services pay for themselves....so worth continuing without subsidy.

Then maybe nove on to other weekdays to do the same.

I can’t support a ‘nice to have’ unfortunately. There are other more urgent services requiring funding

[Lee]

‘Works’ would mean enough passengers to make those services pay for themselves....so worth continuing without subsidy.

Then maybe nove on to other weekdays to do the same.

I can’t support a ‘nice to have’ unfortunately. There are other more urgent services requiring funding

What the Wight locals are arguing though is that it goes beyond just "nice to have" "late nighf entertainment" - there are livelihoods at stake and other vital uses denied as well. It's a similar situation to how many locals believed that that their evening bus services were "economically nexessary" but the Cameron and May administrations believed they were "nice to have", when justifying cutting back the Regional Transport Grants that local authorities used to fund them.

Through Bus Back Better, the current Johnson administration - and the Prime Minister did write the BBB introduction - make clear that they agree that such evening bus services are "economically necessary" rather than "nice to have", and set out a clear route both strategically and in terms of funding towards reintroducing and strengthening them on that basis.

All the Wight locals seem to be asking for is equivalent treatment of their "economically necessary" ferry services. Is it right they be denied that?

[ChrisB]

If it's so vityal, what are they doing currently?

[Lee]

If it's so vityal, what are they doing currently?

According to the article, they are either being forced to use cars in order to access the Fishbourne car ferries that run later, or stay at home, lose job and other opportunities, and become isolated from society as a result. This in turn risks having a damaging effect on the island as a whole both economically and environmentally.

It is those kind of arguments when deployed against evening bus service cuts that had the cumulative effect of making such cuts be viewed so negatively that it has given the current government little choice but to act, as welcome as I view the fact that they are acting.

But for the grace of god go trains - You are already seeing the beginnings of the "nice to have" argument being deployed on certain SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services, for example.

Is that the future people want to see?

[johnneyw]

I voted for "don't know" but not for "don't care ".