Locomotive Services Limited Railtour Programme 2022

[Iskra]

Having missed out on the two tours involving 87002 this year that will do very nicely thanks.

Could all be irrelevant now, as strikes are set for that day. Shame

 

[JonathanH]

Could all be irrelevant now, as strikes are set for that day. Shame

Indeed, seems very likely.

 

[_toommm_]

A massive shame, as it’s my first railtour of the year, and I was booked onto this one. Also the first time ever up to Stranraer.

 

[Kite159]

You would be brave to rely on such connections off a railtour anyway. I’m driving so it makes little difference to me. The times do accentuate the chink in LSL’s armour however, as the breaks are all 30mins which are great for quick photos but very tight for getting any food and LSL’s own onboard catering options are limited compared to those found on other railtours. It’s not a day-ruiner, but it’s just another thing to have to consider.

I could have seen people dashing towards the Tesco at Carlisle during the loco changes, also a fast walk towards the Asda in Girvan during the pathing stops (as those would have been more fixed due to the single track).

Although it's now a bit elementary due to the strikes, i would imagine by the end of tomorrow they will announce it has been cancelled to be run at a future date

 

[Watershed]

Knowing my luck, it'll be redated to a day I'm on another railtour

 

[Kite159]

Knowing my luck, it'll be redated to a day I'm on another railtour

I wonder if they will simply say the tour is cancelled, give everybody the money back and will try to do a similar tour either later in the year or next year on a date to be decided.

Hopefully sooner rather than later to allow me to cancel my accommodation before next Monday.

 

[JonathanH]

I wonder if they will simply say the tour is cancelled, give everybody the money back and will try to do a similar tour either later in the year or next year on a date to be decided.

Tricky. I would imagine that, given the tour has reportedly sold out, people would want to 'reserve their place', even if it is 2023. Moreover, do people prefer having their money back but then paying more next year or keeping it tied up with the operator.

However, there clearly is lots of uncertainty about running trains in the short and medium term given ongoing action, so no guarantee that a redate doesn't correspond with another strike date. (It obviously also isn't guaranteed that there won't be similar industrial relations issues next year.)

 

[_toommm_]

Tour has been postponed to 21/09/22:

It is with regret that we must inform you of the postponement of THE AYRLINER on 27/07/2022.



This decision has become necessary because of the intended industrial action that will affect the entire rail network on the date of travel. The tour will now operate on the alternative date of Wednesday 21 September 2022. Your booking has been transferred to the new date and you do not need to contact us.



However, should the postponement date not be suitable for you, then we would like to offer you two further options to consider.



(i) A direct transfer to another of our 2022 one day tours, please see our website at www.inter-city.co.uk for full details of alternative dates and contact our reservation team on 0800 038 5364 no later than Friday 22 July 2022 to discuss availability.

(ii) A full refund payable to the card used for the initial purchase. If this is you preferred option then please contact us in writing only by email to [email protected] or by post no later than Friday 22 July 2022.



We apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause and very much hope you will still be able to travel with us on Wednesday 21 September.

 

[Iskra]

Typical! I'm out of the country on that date. I've rung and re-booked onto the Severn Valley Deltic instead.

Hopefully they can run a similar tour next year for those that couldn't make it on the re-arranged date or didn't get a ticket in the first place with it selling out- which indicates demand for more of the same.

 

[Watershed]

Tour has been postponed to 21/09/22:

It is with regret that we must inform you of the postponement of THE AYRLINER on 27/07/2022.



This decision has become necessary because of the intended industrial action that will affect the entire rail network on the date of travel. The tour will now operate on the alternative date of Wednesday 21 September 2022. Your booking has been transferred to the new date and you do not need to contact us.



However, should the postponement date not be suitable for you, then we would like to offer you two further options to consider.



(i) A direct transfer to another of our 2022 one day tours, please see our website at www.inter-city.co.uk for full details of alternative dates and contact our reservation team on 0800 038 5364 no later than Friday 22 July 2022 to discuss availability.

(ii) A full refund payable to the card used for the initial purchase. If this is you preferred option then please contact us in writing only by email to [email protected] or by post no later than Friday 22 July 2022.



We apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause and very much hope you will still be able to travel with us on Wednesday 21 September.

Glad that it's not been cancelled outright. However, they shouldn't be suggesting that you lose the right to a refund if you wait until after Friday 22 June.

 

[bleeder4]

Glad that it's not been cancelled outright. However, they shouldn't be suggesting that you lose the right to a refund if you wait until after Friday 22 June.

That's not specific to LSL. Pathfinder and Railway Touring Company all do the same. Others probably do as well. I have no problem with it. They have to set a refund deadline or people could be ringing up the day before the re-arranged tour asking for a refund, when the seating plan has all been done.

 

[Watershed]

That's not specific to LSL. Pathfinder and Railway Touring Company all do the same. Others probably do as well. I have no problem with it. They have to set a refund deadline or people could be ringing up the day before the re-arranged tour asking for a refund, when the seating plan has all been done.

Whilst I have some sympathy with that viewpoint, I don't think people should be automatically rebooked. They should certainly get 'first dibs' on rebooking onto the new tour - and setting a short time limit for that is perfectly reasonable - but they shouldn't have a revised date foisted on them.

As it happens, the new date suits me, but if I had missed LSL's correspondence for whatever reason (e.g. I was on holiday) and couldn't make the new date, I wouldn't be best pleased.

 

[_toommm_]

As it happens, the new date suits me, but if I had missed LSL's correspondence for whatever reason (e.g. I was on holiday) and couldn't make the new date, I wouldn't be best pleased.

It’s why I thought it pertinent to post it on here as soon as I got the email. We all more than likely knew it would be re-timed, but incase anyone didn’t get the email or it went to spam, I wouldn’t want anyone to waste the £129/£159. Luckily the date works for me too as work had holiday.

 

[_toommm_]

Just seen the Ayrliner on Twitter being readvertised, and it only has half an hour in Stranraer. I know the timings were redone for the last booked date, but did it only have half an hour in Stranraer then?

 

[JonathanH]

Just seen the Ayrliner on Twitter being readvertised, and it only has half an hour in Stranraer. I know the timings were redone for the last booked date, but did it only have half an hour in Stranraer then?

Yes, along with half an hour in Girvan in each direction, and I think half an hour in Ayr.

 

[_toommm_]

Times are now on for the Ayrliner:

Realtime Trains | 1Z62 0727 Crewe to Stranraer | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z62 0727 departure from Crewe to Stranraer on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z63 1534 Stranraer to Girvan | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z63 1534 departure from Stranraer to Girvan on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z64 1709 Girvan to Crewe | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z64 1709 departure from Girvan to Crewe on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Watershed]

Times are now on for the Ayrliner:

Realtime Trains | 1Z62 0727 Crewe to Stranraer | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z62 0727 departure from Crewe to Stranraer on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z63 1534 Stranraer to Girvan | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z63 1534 departure from Stranraer to Girvan on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1Z64 1709 Girvan to Crewe | 21/09/2022

Real-time train running information for 1Z64 1709 departure from Girvan to Crewe on 21/09/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

It's running to time, just approaching Penrith. Booked to use platform 3 but it remains to be seen whether that actually happens...

 

[_toommm_]

It's running to time, just approaching Penrith. Booked to use platform 3 but it remains to be seen whether that actually happens...

We’ve just passed through two. I did think it weird for us to loop through three if nothing was booked to overtake us.

 

[XAM2175]

I popped out to Hillington East to see the return journey go through. Lovely to hear the 20s at full chat, even though I don't usually go in for tractors and my thanks to the driver for the unprompted wee whistle!

 

[fgwrich]

Somewhat unsurprisingly, LSL have announced that 45118 will not be ready for any of the remaining Intercity tours this year, and the “Torbay Delight” tour on the 19th of October & “The International” on Wednesday the 9th of November will now be 37 hauled throughout instead.

 

[43184spotter]

With the Friday charter supposedly not continuing, does this mean we will see the Intercity tours use the actual advertised intercity Mk3 stock again?

 

[LRV3004]

How come the Friday Charter has been axed then? I'm assuming poor loadings, possibly coupled with the price of the fares?

 

[43184spotter]

How come the Friday Charter has been axed then? I'm assuming poor loadings, possibly coupled with the price of the fares?

I dont know for certain but that’s at least what has been going around on the Friday Charter’s forum. Potentially because they cant even get many enthusiasts onboard anymore, since they would’ve all gone on it two weeks ago for much cheaper when they were running trains for avanti during the queen’s mourning period.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Somewhat unsurprisingly, LSL have announced that 45118 will not be ready for any of the remaining Intercity tours this year, and the “Torbay Delight” tour on the 19th of October & “The International” on Wednesday the 9th of November will now be 37 hauled throughout instead.

Yep, pair of 37s. Hopefully it will be operational in 2023.

 

[XAM2175]

I dont know for certain but that’s at least what has been going around on the Friday Charter’s forum. Potentially because they cant even get many enthusiasts onboard anymore, since they would’ve all gone on it two weeks ago for much cheaper when they were running trains for avanti during the queen’s mourning period.

There's a separate thread for it, FYI:

Intercity Fridays Only to/from Euston

Locomotive Intercity Limited to launch the Friday Charter train service from Friday 19th August 2022...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[43184spotter]

There's a separate thread for it, FYI:

Intercity Fridays Only to/from Euston

Locomotive Intercity Limited to launch the Friday Charter train service from Friday 19th August 2022...

www.railforums.co.uk

That’s the forum I was talking about when explaining to LRV

 

[xotGD]

Yep, pair of 37s. Hopefully it will be operational in 2023.

I might have booked if it had been advertised as the Pair of Syphons in the first place. Bad luck for the Peak Bashers.

 

[alistairlees]

Well it looks like I now have two tickets going spare if you are interested…

 

[fgwrich]

I might have booked if it had been advertised as the Pair of Syphons in the first place. Bad luck for the Peak Bashers.

To be honest, I don’t think LSL have understood their market here: if you’re into Sulzer, you’ll ideally expect the replacement to perhaps be a 47 (for example). Not something from the EE staple.

 

[xotGD]

Well it looks like I now have two tickets going spare if you are interested…

Thanks for the offer, but I now have other plans for the day.