Swanage Railway - Appeal Launched As Existence Threatened

[AnthonyRail]

Few railways looking reopen August . Any news On Swanage?

 

[Monty]

Not heard any news yet, still waiting to hear back from one of the guards inspectors. But the Swanage has had an issue with low numbers of footplate crew and guards, and of those we have many are what you would consider to be int he vulnerable category from covid so even if the lockdown has eased many of the volunteers aren't too keen on getting right back to it if that makes any sense.

 

[Titfield]

I hear rumours of a diesel service 4 times a day from 11th July subject to government distancing rules and the availability and competency of crews. Given the early lockdown some crew(s) may require refresher before they can operate public service trains.

Not heard any news yet, still waiting to hear back from one of the guards inspectors. But the Swanage has had an issue with low numbers of footplate crew and guards, and of those we have many are what you would consider to be int he vulnerable category from covid so even if the lockdown has eased many of the volunteers aren't too keen on getting right back to it if that makes any sense.

Like Monty above I hear of issues with relatively low numbers of safety critical volunteers due to age / willingness to operate in the current circumstances. There was a volunteer survey issued somewhile ago asking volunteers to state their willingness to return to volunteering and their views on ppe etc.
On the bright side the appeal has raised more than £220K of the target of £360K so nearly 2/3rds of the way there!

 

[341o2]

The railway's website is now saying that the railway plans to reopen mid July subject to government restrictions

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

The railway's website is now saying that the railway plans to reopen mid July subject to government restrictions

That is good to hear.

 

[theironroad]

Well seems that it is opening in a limited fashion from 11th July with services all starting from Swanage but other stations closed.

 

[theironroad]

From their website:

RE-OPENING SERVICES

We can't wait to welcome you back!


View the spectacular ruins of Corfe Castle - and the beautiful Purbeck countryside - from the comfort of our special heritage diesel hauled re-opening train service.

From Saturday, 11 July, 2020, we will be running our re-opening Swanage to Norden and return train service that will be dfferent from what we would normally operate.


Starting at Swanage station, the special return journey does not stop at Herston Halt, Harman's Cross or Corfe Castle to ensure the saftey of passengers and staff.


There will be four departures a day from Swanage station at 10.30, 12.00, 13.30 and 15.00.
Trains cannot be boarded at Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross or Herston Halt, these stations will be closed.


Tickets can only be purchased in advance and capacity is strictly limited with seat allocation to observe Social Distancing regulations.

Return Fares
Type	Advance Online	On the Day*
Window seats 2 persons	£20.00	£25.00
Table for up to 4 persons	£40.00	£50.00
Compartment for up to 6 persons	£50.00	£60.00
Under 5's" (Not occupying a seat)	FREE	FREE

* Subject to availability
" No booking required
Promotional discount schemes and memberships are not valid on this service.
Tickets are non-refundable

 

[Titfield]

Noteworthy that discount schemes including discounted travel for Swanage Railway Trust members are not valid.

I can understand the need to maximise revenue given the very reduced capacity but on the other hand "biting the hand that feeds" is rarely a good idea.

 

[theironroad]

Noteworthy that discount schemes including discounted travel for Swanage Railway Trust members are not valid.

I can understand the need to maximise revenue given the very reduced capacity but on the other hand "biting the hand that feeds" is rarely a good idea.

I guess they hope people will understand, especially in light of the save our service appeal, but I agree on face value it doesn't look great. Maybe they'll find a way of doing something later on for members when capacity can be increased.

 

[Titfield]

I guess they hope people will understand, especially in light of the save our service appeal, but I agree on face value it doesn't look great. Maybe they'll find a way of doing something later on for members when capacity can be increased.

Agreed. They need to explain the rationale behind this decision to the members and others entitled to discounted travel.

 

[Titfield]

To 30 June the appeal has raised £227,553.

That certainly seems to be one of the more succesfull heritage railway appeals.

 

[Titfield]

To 20 July the appeal has raised £244,110 just over 2/3rds of the target amount.

Great news but sadly I understand that a redundancy / pay reduction consultation with the paid staff is now taking place as it seems that there will be insufficient funds to pay all staff in full throughout the winter.

Please if you can assist donate to the Save Our Service appeal.

 

[theironroad]

I think they've raised a good amount, almost 1/4 million.

They might endear themselves to donors slightly more if they emailed acknowledged PayPal donations and also reply to emails.

Though certainly feel for the staff having to go through redundancy consultation and it's outcome.

 

[Titfield]

Yes its a very good figure and they should be commended for that.

Not good for the paid staff though especially in places like Swanage where alternative employment wont be easy to find.

 

[30907]

Agreed. They need to explain the rationale behind this decision to the members and others entitled to discounted travel.

They are by no means the only line doing this - if you can only offer at most 1/4 normal capacity (one-train service as well as distancing) in peak season you want to maximise revenue.

 

[Titfield]

Yes the commercial imperative is quite clear how they should be stating this to their members etc clearly to minimise any ill feeling etc.

 

[Titfield]

Swanage Railway has announced the appeal now stands at £250,401 - a fantastic achievement but sadly the pace of donations has dropped dramatically with less than £23,000 raised since the 30th June.

The results of the initial consultation with staff regarding salaries / redundancies etc should be announced soon.

 

[Scrotnig]

Noteworthy that discount schemes including discounted travel for Swanage Railway Trust members are not valid.

I can understand the need to maximise revenue given the very reduced capacity but on the other hand "biting the hand that feeds" is rarely a good idea.

I have to say, I'm a member of several heritage railways and I wouldn't dream of claiming my discount at present even if it were offered. I often don't even in normal times.

I joined those railways to help and support them financially in what little way I can. I understand why they offer discounts as perks but for me I'd rather they have the money. Especially at the moment when their very existence is threatened.

 

[Alan Warren]

Well said Scrotnig I do exactly the same. I am a member of at least 4 different railways (some for more than 20 years) and have never used my discount cards. I want these railways to succeed which is why I joined them in the first place!

 

[Titfield]

Just seen this posted on another well known heritage railways forum

Reality Bites!
This announcement recently published by the Chairman.
Swanage can't be the first with this sort of announcement and I suspect not the last?
Very sad but underlines the need to support all our railways in whatever way possible.
Still £37,000 to be raised to meet the SOS target.

Staff Redundancies

The Swanage Railway Company has throughout the 2020 operating season been very mindful of the need to address the significant impact of Covid-19 on our business.

Turnover this year is projected to be around 33% of 2019 levels because of the pandemics effect on our services. Consequently how we operate and on what cost base requires detailed scrutiny across the whole business and plans developed and implemented to balance reduced income and our historic cost base, with the need to retain the capability to operate a safe train service.

The Board, having prepared a survival plan shared elements of this with both staff and volunteers. It has also taken a further long and hard look at its future operating plans, building on work it had started in autumn of 2019 i.e. before the pandemics consequences were known and which was indicating even at that time then that change would be necessary. In July 2020 the views of employees were sought on various options under consideration which included voluntary redundancy, taking of sabbaticals in winter months and potential changes to working hours and / or salary options.

Taking the response from staff into account and the data collected during recent summer trading with Covid-19 restrictions in place, The Board has decided that the future financial projections coupled with the need to change the focus of some of our activities meant that the small number of voluntary redundancies received from staff did not address the issues sufficiently. The Board has therefore taken the decision to secure, in compliance with statutory procedures, a further six compulsory redundancies. A total of eight employees will be leaving our employment over the coming weeks.

These roles being made redundant are spread across the Railway Company and Trust in the areas of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Catering, Permanent Way, Operations, Locomotive Carriage & Wagon departments and Museums.

The Board do not anticipate any further redundancies being required at this time.

Line managers and Directors will share with staff details of these changes in the coming days.

Gavin Johns, Chairman
3rd November 2020

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Sad to read this.

 

[Titfield]

Very. I understand that there are about 40FTE (Full Time Equivalents) so this is about 20% of the paid workforce being made redundant.

I know many heritage rail enthusiasts would like railways to be fully volunteer staffed (and some achieve this or get very close) however Swanage has had to employ staff a) because of the relatively small population and thus volunteers within the area b) the high level of service it operates.

Given they have received over £220K from the DMCS, raised nearly £330K from their appeal and ran a very very successful Flying Scotsman Event in Spring 2019 it does make one wonder how dire their financial circumstances are that they have had to make these staff redundant.

It also makes one wonder how they will manage to operate a service to / from Wareham given the additional trained staff this will require. I wonder what the ORR view will be of granting Swanage Railway a licence to operate on the mainline in these circumstances? It would damage the railway considerably if they had to cancel services to / from Wareham due to staff shortages! They have struggled in previous years to fulfil their advertised timetable.

 

[theironroad]

Very. I understand that there are about 40FTE (Full Time Equivalents) so this is about 20% of the paid workforce being made redundant.

I know many heritage rail enthusiasts would like railways to be fully volunteer staffed (and some achieve this or get very close) however Swanage has had to employ staff a) because of the relatively small population and thus volunteers within the area b) the high level of service it operates.

Given they have received over £220K from the DMCS, raised nearly £330K from their appeal and ran a very very successful Flying Scotsman Event in Spring 2019 it does make one wonder how dire their financial circumstances are that they have had to make these staff redundant.

It also makes one wonder how they will manage to operate a service to / from Wareham given the additional trained staff this will require. I wonder what the ORR view will be of granting Swanage Railway a licence to operate on the mainline in these circumstances? It would damage the railway considerably if they had to cancel services to / from Wareham due to staff shortages! They have struggled in previous years to fulfil their advertised timetable.

I thought the ORR had already granted a passenger operating allowance and finally this year SR were going to be ready to go until covid came along.

 

[Titfield]

I do not think it was actually issued. I am not sure if they were very close ie some minor issues outstanding or SR asked for it not to be issued as, as I understand it, once the licence has been issued a service under the licence must be run inside 6 months or the licence is terminated. Either way services to / from Wareham haven't been operated by SR.

Operating licences can be reviewed at any time if the regulatory body believes there have been material changes in circumstances since a licence was issued.

 

[theironroad]

I do not think it was actually issued. I am not sure if they were very close ie some minor issues outstanding or SR asked for it not to be issued as, as I understand it, once the licence has been issued a service under the licence must be run inside 6 months or the licence is terminated. Either way services to / from Wareham haven't been operated by SR.

Operating licences can be reviewed at any time if the regulatory body believes there have been material changes in circumstances since a licence was issued.

Ah, ok, thought it had been but doesn't appear on Orr list of current licences and a Google suggests that it was only at a consultation stage in march this year.

I suppose they'll continue with the project as it's been their main aim since the 1970s to see a regular service reinstated to Wareham but who knows whether covid has just blown a massive hole in that idea for a few years.

 

[Titfield]

Yes operating a regular service to Wareham has been the stated aim since the 1970s but back then the idea was to replace the BR service ie operating something akin to 363 days a year with a 2 hourly service from approx 7am to 7pm.

That is no longer a realistic aim and one has to ask if the 2017 trial service 60 days 4 round trips 1030 to 1630 delivers anything above a day tripper service in the high season. Using 60 year old dmus with their high emission leyland diesels seems to be far from appropriate given the move to phase out ICE as a source of power.

 

[James H]

Members received a mailing this week with the AGM papers.

The enclosed news update says that passenger numbers during August and September had been "increasingly encouraging".

Re Wareham services, the newsletter says they still intend to obtain ORR authorisation to run a limited number of trains in 2021.

However the full 90-day trial service that had been planned and funded will be deferred to a later year post-COVID crisis.

The outcome of an application to the DfT's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund ("to introduce a heritage line and potentially a year-round passenger service between Swanage and Wareham") is also still pending.

 

[Nicks]

I'm a real fan of the Swanage Railway a real (soon!) branch line operation from a mainline junction to a decent seaside resort with a castle to see/visit on the way with a good collection of rolling stock and attractive station buildings. Yet a full tourist operation requires a hard business approach with high fixed costs and a need to employ significant staff. They will, therefore, always be vulnerable to economic realities - so whilst redundancies are necessary now I'm sure they will be back recruiting when the demand (hopefully) returns.

 

[theironroad]

Yes operating a regular service to Wareham has been the stated aim since the 1970s but back then the idea was to replace the BR service ie operating something akin to 363 days a year with a 2 hourly service from approx 7am to 7pm.

That is no longer a realistic aim and one has to ask if the 2017 trial service 60 days 4 round trips 1030 to 1630 delivers anything above a day tripper service in the high season. Using 60 year old dmus with their high emission leyland diesels seems to be far from appropriate given the move to phase out ICE as a source of power.

Hadnt realised that the was the service level that originally wanted, but that is really what it needs to be now to make an impact on getting cars of the road. A 1030-1630 service obviously isn't much good for someone working a 9-5 job in Wareham or Poole.

Members received a mailing this week with the AGM papers.

The enclosed news update says that passenger numbers during August and September had been "increasingly encouraging".

Re Wareham services, the newsletter says they still intend to obtain ORR authorisation to run a limited number of trains in 2021.

However the full 90-day trial service that had been planned and funded will be deferred to a later year post-COVID crisis.

The outcome of an application to the DfT's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund ("to introduce a heritage line and potentially a year-round passenger service between Swanage and Wareham") is also still pending.

Interesting update of the plans. Thanks.

 

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