STEAM ROARING BACK TO THE SEASIDE!
THE UK’s coastal resorts have been gearing themselves up for possibly the busiest summer in many years, fuelled by the Government’s restrictions on overseas holidays and the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in our country.
The ‘Sunny South’ and south west of England, traditionally Britain’s favourite destination for high-season summer holidays, has seen accommodation bookings soar, as several continental countries struggled to contain the latest wave of the pandemic as we closed for press. We may well see a resurgence in traditional resorts for the first time since cheap package holidays siphoned off their regulars to the sunny Mediterranean in the late Seventies and afterwards.
Our heritage railways, who have all excelled in implementing social distancing measures (and will continue to do so as required), are also bracing themselves for, hopefully, what at this stage promises a very brisk trade to offset some of the financial losses they incurred during the 2020 lockdown.
Several heritage lines have been having to work within strict Covid-19 rules not only to carry out essential winter maintenance, but to prepare for the coming season – whatever extra demands on them it may bring.
The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is set to emerge from the longest period that the GWR Minehead branch line has been closed in its 45-year history as a heritage line – after spending much of 2020 closed due to carrying out a major necessary track upgrade.
Operations
Prior to the reopening to passengers, several trial and test trains will operate in order for safety critical staff to have refresher duties and receive updated operational information. These trains are expected to start running in mid to late April.
Public services are rescheduled to start on May 22, but as reported last issue, only between Bishops Lydeard and Williton, not stopping at intermediate stations.
As restrictions are gradually eased, the line expects to extend the services on Saturdays only to Watchet and
Blue Anchor.
Extensive key infrastructure works between Williton and Minehead, including the rebuilt Seaward Way level crossing at the resort, have yet to be completed, but are on track for a July opening when all of the Covid-19 restrictions will hopefully have been lifted.
In order to enhance the passenger offering, a range of at-seat catering options will hopefully be made available on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including morning tea, coffee and cake, lunchtime fish and chips, and afternoon cream teas.
The railway now has to generate enough money to get it through next winter.
WSR plc chairman, Jonathan JonesPratt said: “By far, this has been the longest enforced period of closure for the WSR since the full reopening of the whole heritage line from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard in 1979, apart from the short exception of our 2020 pre-Christmas period.
Effort
“Much hard work has been undertaken in the background by our dedicated teams on all aspects of our working steam railway. Now, we are all greatly looking forward to welcoming passengers back again this coming summer, to enjoy our wonderful railway running through the Somerset countryside.”
During the most recent lockdown on the Swanage Railway, essential maintenance work has been taking place on the New Barn rail over road girder bridge, two miles out of the Purbeck resort.
Southern Railway U 2-6-0 No. 31806 also received the boiler of No. 31874 in a boiler exchange carried out at the Norden road-rail interchange.
A new quarter-mile underground cable for the signalling system and lineside telephones has also been commissioned between Quarr Farm crossing (east of Harman’s Cross) and Harman’s Cross station, replacing a lineside one on wooden telephone poles. The £223,000 Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage grant received last year has largely been used to improve its passenger reservations systems and support Covid-19 requirements, such as stock sanitisation and providing extra seating dividers as required.
The Dartmouth Steam Railway, which last year excelled in its social distancing measures to the point where it even extended its platform at Paignton to facilitate longer trains to accommodate the same number of passengers being seated further part, has been busy with track and infrastructure maintenance in time for what could prove to be a sell-out season, with crowds not only flocking back to the beaches but wanting to savour unrivalled views of them too.
➜ See also centre spread.