Tyseley operator seeks ORR sign-off before 2021 return

VINTAGE TRAINS Ltd will need inspectorate approval before charters restart, following a complete season in which it will not have run any trains.

Unlike other heritage-focused operators Locomotive Services and West Coast – which have maintained operations in the pandemic – Tyseley has not operated any trips in 2020 and, says Denis Chick, “every return to service plan requires formal sign-off from the ORR”.

However, he reported on October 27: “Subject only to Covid-19… we will be ready to run from March 2021.”

After initially postponing the start of this season, Tyseley announced in May (SR506) that it would not seek to run charters this year, which would have been VTL’s first since a restructure in January.

As part of the shake-up, Michael Whitehouse added the VTL chairmanship to his other Tyseley roles, with Alastair Meanley as GM and further consultancy support (SR502) – VTL’s spokesman said his organisation does not need to recruit before restarting, and has “the operational resources to plan and execute the programme”.

However, he cautioned: “We are keeping a close eye on Covid-19 developments as not only could any further escalation of restrictions affect TLW… it could potentially have an impact on a 2021 start-up for VT and, of course, for every other charter operator and heritage railway.”

This season would have been VTL’s second full year: it gained its operating licences in September 2018 and ran its first public charters with ‘Polar Express’ trips from Birmingham Moor Street that November (SR487).