Talyllyn enjoys a hot summer

The Talyllyn Railway has seen a strong peak season in 2022, recording figures that were 17 per cent up than the most recent ‘normal’ season of 2019.

“Much of that is due to price rises,” TR general manager Stuart Williams admitted to NGW, “but if you are still at a point where you are comparing with 2019 which was record-breaking, you are doing something right,” he said.

“We’ve had a very good summer, but it’s also been a strange summer,” he added. “I had my best-ever peak day on a Wednesday and my worst-ever the next day, Thursday.”

Stuart added that there had been challenges, principally with staffing, the Talyllyn experiencing the same slump in volunteer numbers that has been felt across the entire heritage movement, causing some lines to cancel trains.

“I have a great team which I’ve had to expand as fewer volunteers are coming forward,” he said. “But I don’t have the cancelling trains problem that some have had, as most staff in Pendre workshops have an operational qualification so can be called upon to man trains or blockposts. I also have a new general assistant who can work across several different roles as needed.

“We’re paying people to man the museum for the first time – the age profile of the general museum volunteer has been older and so was the worst affected by Covid,” Stuart added.

“The museum may be a separate Trust but to visitors it’s our museum and shutting it reflects badly on the railway. It’s a complete cost with no revenue but accepted because it’s part of the customer experience.

“You also have to ensure such people have work over the winter as getting rid of seasonal workers at the end of the year and then re-employing them the next year is something I hate.”

Stuart admitted that his staffing costs have gone ‘through the roof’. “We pay the living wage, we promise to look after people and we gave them a cost-of-living payment, so I need to run the business so it makes money.”