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Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway to reopen on 15th August

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reddragon

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Railways in holiday areas are dependant on the arrivals of tourists in huge numbers to re-open.

The GWSR relies on a huge local base of day trippers, topped up by holiday makers and coach tours so are in a stronger position.

Yes 1 train will be doing 2 round trips from day 1, but a second train will follow quite quickly. The opening date of 15th August when they could open 1 month earlier is to do maintenance, Covid changes, training etc

I see that the Santa Specials are back on, but will be in a new format, but all events stay cancelled this year.
 
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Journeyman

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I really don't like the idea of reduced timetables. When other aspects of lock down have been lifted, beaches, and country parks have been swamped with the pent up demand - particularly with some leisure activities still not possible. This potentially means more customers crammed into smaller spaces, at the very time when we really want them spaced out and social distancing.

Assuming the demand is there, and customers want to come out and support our heritage railways, then we need to be running more trains and enhanced timetables. Why not operate into the summer evenings for example to allow more visitors to come and generate more revenue?

But we don't know the demand is there, as lots of people are scared to go out, and there's no point running trains if they can't be filled. There's also the requirement to run compartment stock only, which most railways don't have in abundance, at least not in running order. There's also a need to clean compartments between runs.

Railways can't afford to literally burn money by going straight to their high season timetables.
 

reddragon

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I really don't like the idea of reduced timetables. When other aspects of lock down have been lifted, beaches, and country parks have been swamped with the pent up demand - particularly with some leisure activities still not possible. This potentially means more customers crammed into smaller spaces, at the very time when we really want them spaced out and social distancing.

Assuming the demand is there, and customers want to come out and support our heritage railways, then we need to be running more trains and enhanced timetables. Why not operate into the summer evenings for example to allow more visitors to come and generate more revenue?

One word - Volunteers.

There is talk of an extended season, developing timetables as the railways learn how to operate and respond to demand.

Have you looked at flight schedules lately? 4 plans a day out of Gatwick and no idea of what services may / may not run inn the future?
 

Peter C

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I think it's excellent that the GWSR are going to be reopening in August.
They need to take each day as it comes, though, as another peak, or changes to the rules, could see their August opening plans ruined. They need to start small and work up: if they begin by running multiple trains, potentially near gala level, they will have an awful lot to deal with right at the beginning, whereas by operating one or two trains a day, they can start to understand what it's going to be like and all sorts. You can gauge quite a bit from the ticket sales, but as with a lot of these COVID restrictions and easements, you have to change a bit, see what happens, and then go from there. The railway needs to be careful.

-Peter :)
 

Peter C

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For those who are interested, the GWSR have announced that 7903 Formarke Hall will be the engine used on the opening week.
https://twitter.com/GWSR/status/1288576247363248130 said:
Formarke Hall has been rostered for the first week of trains when we re-open on the 15th August. It'll do 2 round trips from Toddington, departing at 10:00am and 1:20pm. Don't forget to book on-line. Details at: http://gwsr.com

-Peter
 

reddragon

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Next weekend the GWSR will be operating shakedown trains using operational staff as volunteers. I imagine that they will follow the published timetables for 15th.

The station sites will be closed to public access, however photos along the line will be possible.
 

Peter C

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The GWSR has now re-opened!
Tickets are sold out for today, and according to their calendar and timetables, their next running day will be Tuesday 18th (next Tuesday).
They are also operating trains formed of five corridor coaches and then one open coach at the end of the set.
https://twitter.com/GWSR/status/1294188271212343297/photo/1 said:
Quick reminder - there's no 'Turn Up and Go' tickets for the post #Lockdown trains. All seats MUST be booked in advance via the website at: http://ow.ly/CpJl50AYU3h Afternoon trains next week are filling up fast, book early to avoid missing out.1597486014391.png

There's also this from their website:
https://www.gwsr.com/planning_your_visit/visiting_gwsr/forthcoming_events.html said:
COVID-19 symptoms


If you are showing any of the symptoms below or have been in contact with a person with Covid-19 within the last 14 days, then please do not attempt to travel with us:



  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Loss of taste or smell


Contact our bookings team on 01242 621905 or 01242 621904 who will reschedule your booking at a later date free of charge.

Please ignore our old 2020 Timetable Leaflets
There are still lots of our old 2020 printed calendar, timetable and special events leaflets out in the community at hotels, businesses and the like which we are unable to retrieve. If you come across one, please ignore its contents (except the maps and station locations: we haven't moved!). See the new calendar, timetables and the revised and more limited special events details on our website. You can also download a leaflet to your smartphone or other device. It provides the timetable and lots of other information.


Booking and Tickets – Tickets are now available

All travel will need to be pre-booked and will be one return journey starting and finishing at Toddington. We will initially make tickets available for the four weeks starting 15th August 2020, including the August Bank Holiday. Please be aware that the operating days around the Bank Holiday will not conform to our new normal operating days of Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, but the timetable options will be set out for you to choose from. Thereafter, tickets will be available to purchase on a rolling two weekly basis to enable us to monitor customer demand.



Historically we have sent tickets by post. We will continue to do this if you require a hard copy ticket, but you will need to allow 7 days as our tickets are printed by a volunteer and not at our offices. In this case we will add a £1 handling charge to the price.



You will however be able to book on-line (up to midday the day before you wish to travel) and print the tickets at home. We will also able to accept your e-ticket being shown to us on your mobile device if you prefer not to print it out. As with a physical or printed ticket it must be shown upon request. Please note, it MUST be the E-TICKET itself shown to our staff and not the email which provides the link to it.



Your tickets will show your carriage and compartment or seat allocation.



Tickets will need to be presented at Toddington for inspection before you will be allowed onto the platform; sanitiser will be available after you enter the platform and we urge use of this by anyone boarding the trains to reduce potential contamination. Carriages, compartments and seats will be clearly marked and we will have station assistants available to help with directions. Information will be supplied outlining the controls in place for your journey including: boarding, cleanliness, social distancing etc.



Wheelchairs
We will have space on our train for ONE pre-booked wheelchair only. Wheelchair requirements MUST be included at the time of booking - PLEASE CALL ON 01242 621405 to check availability prior to booking.

One carer may travel free with any fare paying disabled person. They will need to produce the disabled person's online ticket with the date of travel entered in order to receive the concession ticket.



Dogs
We regret that Covid-19 measures mean that we will not be able carry dogs (except for assistance dogs) for the time being.

Journey
All travel will need to be pre-booked and will be one return journey starting and finishing at Toddington; other stations will not be open to visitors or be alternative boarding points. If you would like to finish your journey and your visit to the Railway early by leaving the train at Cheltenham or Broadway this is possible by inform the Guard when you board. Please be aware that you will not be able to return on a different train unless separate tickets have been purchased for the two trains.



There will be short stops of around 20 minutes at Cheltenham and Broadway for the locomotive to change ends. Passengers will be able to leave the train but we ask that social distancing is observed.


The Train

We will be running six-carriage trains; five carriages will be compartment stock, and each compartment will be available at a minimum cost of £50 for up to two people, with each additional person costing £10 up to a maximum total of 6 people per compartment. We ask that you adhere to the government rules regarding whom you are traveling with within the compartment i.e. not sharing with strangers. The sixth carriage will be an open coach and will have seating available for individuals and couples at a cost of £25 per person.



We have limited the number of people in the carriages to ensure that we can conform to the government’s guidance on social distancing, so we ask that customers limit movement around the train and observe social distancing rules on platforms and carparks etc. Please do not stand in the corridors.



Carriages and seats will be clearly marked and we will have station assistants available to help with directions.



In line with other transport bodies and following good practice, face coverings will be required by passengers travelling on our services and whilst on the platform. These may be removed whilst seated in a compartment. Those exempt include children under 11 years old, passengers with disabilities, those with breathing difficulties and anyone travelling with someone who relies on lip reading. Face coverings can be temporarily removed while eating.



Pushchairs and buggies
We have had to change the types of carriages in use and so we can only accommodate small, foldable buggies on the train, which must be put inside your booked compartment. Also, there is no storage space at the station so, if possible, please carry young children onto the train and leave pushchairs and buggies in your car.

-Peter :)
 

Peter C

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Sounds well organised and I’m delighted it’s sold out!
Definitely! :)
Whilst they're not offering the three different trains like the SVR is, they're still offering something and it looks to be a good decision. Selling out is a good indication that you've done something well!
I'm really happy that it's open again, considering it looked pretty bad for the line at the start of lockdown as they couldn't run trains and had a landslip at Gotherington to contend with. Let's hope it can keep running for years and years to come! :D

-Peter
 

STEVIEBOY1

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Definitely! :)
Whilst they're not offering the three different trains like the SVR is, they're still offering something and it looks to be a good decision. Selling out is a good indication that you've done something well!
I'm really happy that it's open again, considering it looked pretty bad for the line at the start of lockdown as they couldn't run trains and had a landslip at Gotherington to contend with. Let's hope it can keep running for years and years to come! :D

-Peter
Agreed, well said. By the way, was it at Gotherington that they had a landslip before.
 

Peter C

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Agreed, well said. By the way, was it at Gotherington that they had a landslip before.
I think it was, yes. Either that or Chicken Curve (between Winchcombe and Toddington). There've been several on that line over the years, IIRC due to the way the GWR originally built the line using poor materials for embankments. :)

-Peter
 

Peter C

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Wednesday about to sell out, just seats in the open coach left!
Whilst not brilliant for those wanting to go on that day, this is amazing news for the railway and shows them that people really want a ride on the train and really want to support their local heritage line. :)

-Peter
 

Peter C

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This weekend has sold out too!
This is amazing!
For those interested in diesel traction, the GWSR have announced they will be running two trains over the Bank Holiday weekend (29th-31st August) and based on this tweet I think they're using recently-returned to service D6948, looking lovely in BR Green:

https://twitter.com/GWSR/status/1296034140962336773 said:
The rain has arrived :(

That hasn't stopped our crew doing a stock positioning move from Winchcombe to Toddington. Getting ready for the bank holiday as we'll be running 2 #Trains over the weekend. It's a welcome run for Class 37 D6948. #Cotswolds#Heritagerailway
1597923726205.png

-Peter
 

reddragon

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The blue 47 D1693 is in the paint shop too painted in undercoat and nearly ready for top coats. The engine has been run & testing is underway, can't be that long now!
 

Peter C

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The blue 47 D1693 is in the paint shop too painted in undercoat and nearly ready for top coats. The engine has been run & testing is underway, can't be that long now!
I saw the photos of that - looking promising! I think they're running three diesel engines (or will have three available at least) over the course of their diesel running days, the other being the Class 24 based there IIRC.

-Peter
 

Shenandoah

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Many recently re-opened lines have avoided using steam hauled trains and relying on diesels. the posts commenting on the G&WSR being well patronised raises an interesting question.
Are those wanting heritage train rides less inclined to be concerned about steam locomotives and be quite content with diesel haulage?
Or is it just 'any port in a storm' at the moment?
Personally I wouldn't leave home for diesel, but then I was weaned on GWR steam locos. :D
 

Peter C

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Many recently re-opened lines have avoided using steam hauled trains and relying on diesels. the posts commenting on the G&WSR being well patronised raises an interesting question.
Are those wanting heritage train rides less inclined to be concerned about steam locomotives and be quite content with diesel haulage?
Or is it just 'any port in a storm' at the moment?
Personally I wouldn't leave home for diesel, but then I was weaned on GWR steam locos. :D
I think a lot of "Joe Public" prefer a steam engine over a diesel as they think it's more romantic/special/interesting/fun than a diesel which just goes "broom broom" and off it goes. In Thomas the Tank Engine, the goodies are steam engines and the badies are diesels; this probably has a part to play in why "normals" prefer steam as that will probably have been their only exposure to trains. There's also the whole Brief Encounter romantic side to steam engines - I don't think that film would have worked as well if a diesel had gone past and she'd got a lung-full of diesel fumes instead of soot in her eye for it to be removed by that doctor!

I wonder if heritage railways are trying to get loads of people back, see if everything works, and then go in to try and test whether enthusiasts want to come back. A diesel service is a way of getting enthusiasts involved and whilst it won't attract as many members of the public, the enthusiasts will probably balance it out somewhat.

But I'm probably talking rubbish. :)

-Peter
 

Journeyman

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There's also the whole Brief Encounter romantic side to steam engines - I don't think that film would have worked as well if a diesel had gone past and she'd got a lung-full of diesel fumes instead of soot in her eye for it to be removed by that doctor!

Have you seen the 1974 remake? The trains are 4-VEPs. It really doesn't work!
 

Journeyman

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I have seen that - yes! But only the first bit. It's terrible! :)

-Peter

Likewise, it's all I could stand! The original was a masterpiece. I saw it with the music performed live by a full orchestra a couple of years ago - it was magical.
 

33056

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Having been to the Swanage Railway which was running one diesel and one steam hauled set, the steam hauled train was noticeably more popular.

However, the Severn Valley has just announced a Friday diesel turn in September with three round trips available behind different locos see:

"Join the diesel train at Kidderminster for three round trips to Bridgnorth - over 96 miles of haulage!

September 4th: Class 50s. September 11th: Class 33. September 18th: Class 37. September 25th: Class 17. Locomotives are subject to availability."

It will be interesting to see how popular these are.
 

sprinterguy

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Many recently re-opened lines have avoided using steam hauled trains and relying on diesels.
That doesn't tally with my understanding at all: All the heritage lines I'm aware of having reopened; the Paignton & Dartmouth, Mid Hants, Gloucester-Warwickshire, Severn Valley, Great Central, Keighley & Worth Valley, North Yorkshire Moors, Tanfield and Ravenglass & Eskdale; have been primarily or exclusively running steam hauled trains.
the posts commenting on the G&WSR being well patronised raises an interesting question.
Are those wanting heritage train rides less inclined to be concerned about steam locomotives and be quite content with diesel haulage?
The G&WSR have been running steam hauled trains since they reopened last weekend.
Personally I wouldn't leave home for diesel, but then I was weaned on GWR steam locos. :D
Agreed - I've got my first post-lockdown heritage railway trip booked on the Severn Valley Railway next Thursday: Had they been running diesels then I would never have booked it.
 
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peteb

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Having been to the Swanage Railway which was running one diesel and one steam hauled set, the steam hauled train was noticeably more popular.

However, the Severn Valley has just announced a Friday diesel turn in September with three round trips available behind different locos see:

"Join the diesel train at Kidderminster for three round trips to Bridgnorth - over 96 miles of haulage!

September 4th: Class 50s. September 11th: Class 33. September 18th: Class 37. September 25th: Class 17. Locomotives are subject to availability."

It will be interesting to see how popular these are.
Unlike some heritage lines the SVR, once you've booked a compartment, guarantees your compartment for the entire day, whether you stay with the train or leave it for a visit to Bridgnorth or Bewdley. This may encourage those worried about Covid to try a trip.
 

33056

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Unlike some heritage lines the SVR, once you've booked a compartment, guarantees your compartment for the entire day, whether you stay with the train or leave it for a visit to Bridgnorth or Bewdley. This may encourage those worried about Covid to try a trip.
On these you can book a table for one or two people (guess they are only filling the window seats), in fact I understand that the tables are already sold out on the days the class 50s and 37 are running (compartments were still available last night when I looked)
We have been on a number of heritage railways since they re-opened, some in compartments and some in socially-distanced open coaches and have found all to be well-organised with no concerns on our part.
Regarding the GSWR, I am waiting to book the class 24 running day - as it takes us two hours for us to to get there having a whole day to ride up and down makes it more worthwhile to visit than just going for one round trip.
 

sprinterguy

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Unlike some heritage lines the SVR, once you've booked a compartment, guarantees your compartment for the entire day, whether you stay with the train or leave it for a visit to Bridgnorth or Bewdley. This may encourage those worried about Covid to try a trip.
I've been saying for years that I wished the Severn Valley would let you pay a bit extra to reserve a compartment for specific trains (There'll be three of us, so £25 per person). I think the current set up is a really positive development, and it's one of the things that encouraged me to book a trip. I'd quite like to see it retained as an option (As opposed to compulsory) in the long term.
 

peteb

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I've been saying for years that I wished the Severn Valley would let you pay a bit extra to reserve a compartment for specific trains (There'll be three of us, so £25 per person). I think the current set up is a really positive development, and it's one of the things that encouraged me to book a trip. I'd quite like to see it retained as an option (As opposed to compulsory) in the long term.
What's good about railways that offer private compartments is it feels more normal as masks optional within the compartment. However I can see the financial attraction of socially distanced open carriages if theres only one or two travelling. Nevertheless £75 for a whole day on a train for up to 6 people in a group is great value, and still no more pricey than usual for 3.

Whatever is on offer at GWR I hope to visit soon, I like the views of the Cotswolds and the stations have that mainline feel.
 

Tredgets

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My local heritage railway is the GWSR and we took a compartment last Tuesday and I have to say it was all rather pleasant and, for £50 for the two of us to share a compartment, very good value. We were fortunate that the sun was shining and the Cotswolds looked truly fantastic and my only regret was that the outing reminded us of times before Covid19, and that Covid19 is still with us. Other that that I can thoroughly recommend it as a lovely day out.
 
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