Light at the end of the railtour tunnel?

THE YEAR 2020 will not be remembered fondly by most people, particularly those involved in the railtour business. But a glimmer of hope came in mid November with the news that vaccines could be on the way. It would be naive to think that even if the first vaccines are done in December or January we will be back to normal immediately. BUT… there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting brighter. The wave of optimism alone is a great boost for a nation starved of much of its enjoyment.

Let’s assume a vaccination programme is in full swing come the new year. How long it will take to vaccinate everyone is hard to predict, but what it could mean is the end of lockdowns and the tier system and the return of the ability to travel freely again. Wearing a face covering might still be necessary, but as soon as we can end social distancing life can in some way start to revert to the way it used to be.

However, when will we know how long it will take to vaccinate everyone? That is a massive logistical challenge given that it seems some vaccines will necessitate two injections – although that does at least bring with it a guarantee that those who say they have had the injection can be verified as such. Sadly, there will still be some anti-vaxxers who will refuse to have the jab, the positive is that if you have had it and know you have immunity, you’ll be free to go about your business.

But what about charters? Well, the inevitable lockdown 2 came – hopefully it will already be over when you read this – and that meant UK Railtours had to cancel its December trips. Pathfinder boss Peter Watts is still optimistic that his first trips since the pandemic that are planned for April and May will go ahead, and the industry as a whole is sharing that optimism that the spring will see things returning to normal.

What about the long term? If as a society we feel happy to travel freely then it is likely the charter market will bounce back pretty quickly. People will be keen to get out and do the things they love, and travel is one of those things. Enthusiast tours might be more resilient to start with and then day excursion and landcruises should hopefully follow suit.

The TOCs will still be there – and probably keen to have the business. The rolling stock providers are the ones that have suffered the most – they have costly overheads and little income. But, again, they should be good to go pretty rapidly. We would urge every reader, once things return to normal, to support charter providers – be it on a railtour, a trip on the ‘Jacobite’, a day out, or whatever. They say you don’t miss things till they are gone, and a year-plus without charter trains has certainly reminded us how great a good day out with good company, good traction and good scenery can be. Pip Dunn