Heritage Railways Starting To Reopen

[Bon Accord]

I see the Railway Touring Company have updated their T&C's asking all passengers to wear facemasks when on their trains, as has the Bluebell Railway.

Edited June 27, 2020 by Bon Accord

[Chris116]

The Mid Hants Railway website now says that the Watercress Line will reopen on Saturday 11th July. The message is on the first page and is quoted below.

 

*LATEST NEWS*

WE ARE RE-OPENING ON SATURDAY 11TH JULY. We are only able to operate a limited number of our usual services, Dining Trains, Real Ale Trains and Footplate Experiences are not able to run for the time being.  Please look at our web-site for further updates as and when we have them.

 

[73c]

Provisional opening date for the GCR - Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th July

[Boris]

On 27/06/2020 at 21:45, 73c said:

Provisional opening date for the GCR - Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th July

That may be one to keep an eye on with what Han Mattcock has just said in Parliament, going to be 18th of July or so until some of that area is allowed to do more.

[avonside1563]

On 25/06/2020 at 15:25, Bon Accord said:

An interesting titbit from the latest issue of Steam Railway which dropped through the door this morning.

In light of the decision this month in England and subsequently Scotland to insist on facemasks being worn on public transport coupled with the prospect of several preserved lines re-opening, SR asked the DfT if preserved lines and mainline tours would be exempted from the requirement for all passengers to wear face masks.

The answer it seems was a firm no.

I certainly wouldn't visit a preserved railway/go on a main line tour if I was faced with the prospect of having to wear a face mask for hours (perhaps 8+ if on a mainline tour) especially on a warm sunny day, and I doubt many other people would find it much fun either. Not forgetting the impact this will have on the lucrative dining side of things on both preserved lines and the mainline.

In the long run I can't see how it would make Santa Specials particularly viable either.

Put your comment into perspective and think about the frontline NHS and healthcare staff who are wearing masks for a whole shift which is often over 8 hours. You have a choice... they don't!

[Reorte]

32 minutes ago, avonside1563 said:

Put your comment into perspective and think about the frontline NHS and healthcare staff who are wearing masks for a whole shift which is often over 8 hours. You have a choice... they don't!

 

There's quite a bit of difference between what I'll put up with as a necessary part of a job and what I'll do for fun. The perspective in the comment was reasonable for the subject of the thread. It doesn't mean a lack of appreciation for those who very definitely have to.

[stewartingram]

But it is still selfish not to think of the wider implications of helping society as a whole.

[Gilbert]

On 25/06/2020 at 15:25, Bon Accord said:

I certainly wouldn't visit a preserved railway/go on a main line tour if I was faced with the prospect of having to wear a face mask for hours (perhaps 8+ if on a mainline tour) especially on a warm sunny day, and I doubt many other people would find it much fun either. Not forgetting the impact this will have on the lucrative dining side of things on both preserved lines and the mainline.

 

I am booked with my better half on an expensive steam hauled dining service in August which includes a 4 hour stay at the destination. I have a few decisions to make.

One of our few annual treats arranged a long time ago.....but..

[Bon Accord]

8 hours ago, avonside1563 said:

Put your comment into perspective and think about the frontline NHS and healthcare staff who are wearing masks for a whole shift which is often over 8 hours. You have a choice... they don't!

 

That's right, I do have a choice. 

I have a choice not to undertake a non-essential, otherwise frivolous activity at a time when the risk of infection is so great that the wearing of masks is deemed essential when undertaking that activity.

Some people out there no doubt enjoy wearing such PPE for long periods of time, however I am not one of them - I'm sure in common with most of the healthcare staff to which you refer - and therefore my choice is that I simply will not go on railtours or visit preserved lines whilst the requirements are there for the simple reason it'd be detrimental to my enjoyment of the experience.

I already wear a face covering when required such as travelling to/from my workplace by train (6 hour journey each way) and I have no doubt the requirement to do so when visiting shops will also come in soon, but I've absolutely no desire to perpetuate that practice unnecessarily in my spare time when I'm supposed to be otherwise relaxing and enjoying myself, If certain activities require it then I won't undertake those activities until things are back to normal, however long that takes.

I'm somewhat puzzled as to why you would seem to take issue with that viewpoint.

 

 

 

 

[Bon Accord]

7 hours ago, Gilbert said:

I am booked with my better half on an expensive steam hauled dining service in August which includes a 4 hour stay at the destination. I have a few decisions to make.

One of our few annual treats arranged a long time ago.....but..

 

Before all this started I was poised to make a booking on one of the Aberdonian tours run by the A1 trust, these being in August/September, and I received an email reminder this afternoon that the trains are still booked to run, albeit with the same precautions in place as elsewhere on the network. notwithstanding the possibility of re-introduced restrictions should they be required.

Thankfully they have already outlined dates for next year so I'm going to bit the bullet and go for one of them instead.

[fezza]

North Norfolk website seems to be requiring people to book at compartment at £34 for a single round trip. Intermediate stations will be closed and you have to come straight back from Holt. They are also planning queuing systems to get on to the platform and to get on to the train. I love the NNR but combined with facemasks this doesn't sound like it is going to be a great experience for travellers. May just send them some cash and watch from the lineside. 

[Bomag]

1 hour ago, fezza said:

North Norfolk website seems to be requiring people to book at compartment at £34 for a single round trip. Intermediate stations will be closed and you have to come straight back from Holt. They are also planning queuing systems to get on to the platform and to get on to the train. I love the NNR but combined with facemasks this doesn't sound like it is going to be a great experience for travellers. May just send them some cash and watch from the lineside. 

 

I believe they will be using their Mk1 suburban stock (except their SLO) which is nice but bouncy! I cannot see any reference to needing facemasks, not needed in this type of stock.

[russ p]

Are heritage railways also classed as public transport?  If they are then face masks would have to be worn I would have thought as per the current law

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

Are heritage railways also classed as public transport?  If they are then face masks would have to be worn I would have thought as per the current law

Yes - but if the NNR are using compartment stock, and reserving a whole compartment for a single household/family group, then the law doesn't require them to be worn in the compartment.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

5 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Yes - but if the NNR are using compartment stock, and reserving a whole compartment for a single household/family group, then the law doesn't require them to be worn in the compartment.

I very much doubt that is how the law works. Unless there is a specific exclusion for compartment stock in the regulation, then face masks are still required. I also very much doubt that an exclusion exists simply because it was not envisaged by the people who drew up the regulation.

 

 A railway I am involved with is working on compartmentalising its carriages where possible, but still expects passengers to need to wear face marks under the current rules. They don't yet have a re-opening date, but apart from that it seems very much like what fezza says about the the NNR: online bookings only, entire compartments/spaces for single households and intermediate stations closed.

[Nick C]

2 minutes ago, Jeremy C said:

I very much doubt that is how the law works. Unless there is a specific exclusion for compartment stock in the regulation, then face masks are still required. I also very much doubt that an exclusion exists simply because it was not envisaged by the people who drew up the regulation.

 

 A railway I am involved with is working on compartmentalising its carriages where possible, but still expects passengers to need to wear face marks under the current rules. They don't yet have a re-opening date, but apart from that it seems very much like what fezza says about the the NNR: online bookings only, entire compartments/spaces for single households and intermediate stations closed.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers#exemptions-face-coverings

Quote

 

The requirement to wear a face covering does not apply to:

...

passengers in an allocated cabin, berth or other similar accommodation, when they are alone or with members of their household or support bubble

...

 

 

Probably intended for sleepers, ferry cabins etc, but equally applicable for compartment stock.

 

[Bomag]

3 hours ago, Jeremy C said:

I very much doubt that is how the law works. Unless there is a specific exclusion for compartment stock in the regulation, then face masks are still required. I also very much doubt that an exclusion exists simply because it was not envisaged by the people who drew up the regulation.

 

 A railway I am involved with is working on compartmentalising its carriages where possible, but still expects passengers to need to wear face marks under the current rules. They don't yet have a re-opening date, but apart from that it seems very much like what fezza says about the the NNR: online bookings only, entire compartments/spaces for single households and intermediate stations closed.

 

Also relevant is if a train etc is a ' Public transport service' under Regulation 2(2) - which is presumably why you have to use the same station to start and end all activities on many railways.

[JamieR4489]

8 hours ago, Bomag said:

 

I believe they will be using their Mk1 suburban stock (except their SLO)

It'll be one Mk1 suburban and the Quad-Arts. I don't know which Mk1 it will be but there's a photo on the NNR's Facebook page of the ensemble at Sheringham.

[pete_mcfarlane]

2 hours ago, Bomag said:

 

Also relevant is if a train etc is a ' Public transport service' under Regulation 2(2) - which is presumably why you have to use the same station to start and end all activities on many railways.

 

Hopefully the VAT side of all this has been considered, since changing from being 'public transport' to offering out and back rides affects whether you charge VAT. https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-transport/vtrans020400

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by pete_mcfarlane

[RJS1977]

3 hours ago, Bomag said:

 

Also relevant is if a train etc is a ' Public transport service' under Regulation 2(2) - which is presumably why you have to use the same station to start and end all activities on many railways.

 

I think what's more of an issue isn't so much the wording of the law, it's about keeping seats clean. If passengers can get on and off at every station, then the seats would need cleaning at each stop. If passengers are only allowed to board at one station, the seats only need cleaning at the end of each round trip.

 

Also it may be with some railways that a high proportion of their volunteers are either still shielding or don't yet feel confident going back to a public facing role so there may not be enough volunteers to man all the stations.

[Kaput]

Ultimately its just much much easier for the railways to control passenger numbers if nobody can get on or off at intermediate stations but I do agree with some previous posts about all the "safety" measures ruining a lot of the experience.

Also as someone that travels around solo to visit heritage lines none of the ones reopening are being all that clear on whether they'll actually let a solo person book out an entire compartment.

[4630]

The Swanage Railway was operating on 15th July with a modified service using 33111 and Southern Railway U class 31806.  Battle of Britain 34072 257 Squadron was also in steam.

 

From what I could see social distancing measures were in place in accordance with requirements.

 

I'd have taken a return trip if I'd had the time, but it's good to see it working and I wish them all the best for the rest of the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by 4630
To add a photo of 31806.

[gwrrob]

The Paignton & Dartmouth are back running trains again although not stopping at Goodrington Sands. This has the bonus of hearing the engines on the bank at a quicker speed than from a standing start. The trains were not very well patronised from what I saw last weekend but hopefully things will pick up now the kids have broken up although masks are required.

 

[Boris]

It's not whether they run trains or not that's the key to survival, its whether they get bums on seats or not, early indications from some railways is that advance ticket sales are poor and open tourist attractions are reporting 25-30% of normal footfall.

[Steamport Southport]

First train I've seen on any of the webcams.

 

Not a service train, but getting ready to open during the week. Tan y Bwlch