Glorious April 12 as heritage lines target restart date!
SOCIAL distancing and swathes of other Covid-safe measures at the fore, heritage lines have geared up for the opening of the summer season following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's February 22 announcement of a new four-step plan to ease England's lockdown.
The plan, which began with children returning to school in March 8, could see all legal limits on social contact lifted by June 21 if strict conditions are met.
The second step sees major parts of the economy permitted to reopen from April 12, including non-essential retail, zoos, theme parks… and heritage railways. However, wider social contact rules will continue to apply in all settings – meaning no indoor mixing between different households will be allowed.
The date means that the heritage sector will miss the money-spinning Easter weekend. Despite increasingly positive national media reports about infection rates falling and vaccination levels far higher than first anticipated, the big question being asked was: will the public surge to tourist attractions once they reopen, or will there be just a cautious trickle?
The first line to announce a date for reopening was the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, with April 13 – the 40th anniversary of the railway company being formed.
Trains will start and terminate at Toddington station, pre-bookable online at www.gwsr.com only.
Six-coach services including five compartment carriages will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with heritage diesel days on Sundays May 25, June 23 and June 27, and Covid restrictions expected to continue until late June, depending on further Government guidance.
Galas
The day before, on April 12, the Severn Valley Railway plans to restart public services, and will hold its eagerlyawaited April 15-18 Spring Steam Up featuring star guest GWR Saint 4-6-0 No.2999 Lady of Legend, as we reported last issue.
The May 13-16 Spring Diesel Bash will feature four daily trains and two guests locomotives, as yet unnamed, booked to join home-based Class 33 No. 33108 and Class 40 No. 40106 on their trains.
SVR diesels committee chairman Jonathan Dunster said: “We're putting on a real feast of motive power, with an event that will feature Sulzers, English Electric and diesel hydraulics alongside the ever-popular No. 50007 Hercules, 50035 Ark Royal and 50049 Defiance.”
April 12 will be a double special occasion for the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, as it restarts running on what is the exact 50th anniversary of its first train at Havenstreet.
The day will see a recreation of that first train being propelled to Woodhouse Crossing in 1971, when LSWR O2 0-4-4T No. W24 Calbourne hauled a three-coach service, with the locomotive, in its 130th birthday year, hauling the same carriages.
The Swanage Railway also plans an April 12 restart, taking bookings online at swanagerailway.co.uk from April 1, while on the day walk-up bookings will be able to be made at the Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage ticket offices, depending on availability. Harman's Cross station and Herston Halt will remain closed until the Government lifts social distancing restrictions.
Subject to the lifting of restrictions, the railway hopes to reopen its Corfe Castle station museum, return catering facilities to Swanage and Norden stations and reintroduce its dining trains in a Covid-safe manner, from May 17.
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway has announced April 12 as the earliest date for when services could run again.
Frequency
The North Norfolk Railway will reopen on April 12 and run until May 16 with a one-train service four times daily between Sheringham and Holt, the only two stations where passengers can board the train, with Weybourne and Kelling Heath remaining closed. From May 17 until July 23, a two-train programme will consist of three steam trains and three steam services.
Crich Tramway Village plans to reopen its outside areas from April 12-16, and thereafter Saturdays through to Thursdays, with limited trams running.
The Avon Valley Railway aims to recommence on April 14 and run trains most weekends (diesel-hauled on Saturdays and steam on Sundays) until September, with additional Wednesdays during school half term and summer holidays. Its Bitton station cafe has already reopened, but only for takeaways.
Several lines will restart on April 17, including the Great Central Railway, from when its cafes will reopen for takeaway and patio service on running days, with on-train dining and inside cafes maybe returning in May. The first service will run south and back from Quorn & Woodhouse, using previous Tier 3-based system.
A First Hurrah of the season gala event is earmarked for June 4-6, replacing the similar cancelled events in January and November. Also being planned are a September 3-5 diesel bash and the September 30-October 3 autumn steam gala, plus the line's usual events, including the wartime weekend, beer festival, bonfire night, Santa specials and Winter Wonderlights, diesel running days, swapmeets, and fish and chip trains. Full details will be posted at www. gcrailway.co.uk
The South Devon Railway will offer free admission (donations invited) to Buckfastleigh station for the week commencing April 12, and then on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until May 16 - and will start running trains the following day, while the Dartmouth Steam Railway aims to relaunch its services on April 13.
Didcot Railway Centre will restart its Open Air Steam Days at weekends and Wednesdays from April 14, with rides on its standard gauge demonstration line.
The Keighley & Worth Valley and Dean Forest railways are also aiming for April 17, and the Leighton Buzzard Railway the following day.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which has filming contracts in April, is planning to restart services mid-May.
Crossing
As reported last issue, although the West Somerset Railway must wait until Somerset County Council's £1 million replacement of Minehead's Seaward Way level crossing is completed before trains can run in and out of the resort.
The section from Bishops Lydeard to Williton will reopen on May
22, with some trains running on to Watchet. Services will later be extended to Dunster with a bus link to Minehead, which, it is hoped, will be reached by trains by July after the crossing reopens.
Work that has taken place over the past year means that from the point of view of infrastructure, locomotives and coaches, and staff training and updated safety systems, the line is othwerwise ready to run. However, to achieve social distancing on board and avoid crowding on platforms, services will operate – at least for the start of the year – as “excursion trains” - for which passengers must pre-book.
A ‘late spring' return of standard travel was announced by the MidHants Railway. Events are due to be held on April 30-May 3 for its spring steam gala; May 22-23 for its Vintage Vehicles Display; June 12-13 for War On The Line; and Days Out With Thomas on May 29-June 6 and August 7-15.
May 1 is the restart date for the East Lancashire Railway, with both steam and diesel trains working full timetables every weekend, and also for the Churnet Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is to resume services on May 22, followed by a series of events. These include steam and diesel on May 30-31; a steam weekend July 17-18; a summer diesel gala on August 6-8; Gin and Steam on August 14-15 and a beer and cider festival on October 22-24.
Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34053
Sir Keith Park is due to operate during July 17-18, and be the centrepiece of steaming days on August 28-30, and September 12-13 and 19-20.
The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton has a May 22 start date for passenger journeys, while the Middleton Railway will reopen the day afterwards (see separate story, News, page 12).
The Foxfield Railway is due to reopen on July 1, offering rides in both its Knotty heritage steam train compartment carriages and its Class 142 ‘Pacer' DMU.
Rally
The Evesham Vale Light Railway is to reopen on April 12, running daily until April 18, then every weekend. It has scheduled its summer gala and historic vehicle weekend for July 10-11. Classic road vehicles and miniature traction engines will complement the intensive service on the railway. It was hoped to hire a visiting engine for the event.
➜ Restart dates were being announced by more heritage lines as we closed for press on March 10, and would-be visitors are advised to check with their chosen venue for the latest information on running dates, as well as all social distancing requirements,