Good times ahead but beware of overkill

WITH THE roadmap to normality motoring on, which seems to be a case of so far so good, we could be on course for a return to charter trains by late June. But I say could, as a decision won’t be made until May 17 on whether charter trains can restart without social distancing. I wouldn’t count your chickens just yet as there could still be some spanners in the works. Unless late June sees the return of full-capacity charters with no enforced seating restrictions, then for most promoters it’s still a case of the same scenario – the trains won’t be viable to run.

But let’s try and be positive, and let’s assume there is indeed light at the end of the exceptionally long tunnel and we do start to see normality return.

It’s understandable, when the metaphorical signal turns from yellow to green and they can run unhindered, that promoters will want to get back in business as soon as possible. They have lost 18 months’ worth of business and will need to claw some of that back. But they have to be sensible and, I would also say, cooperate or liaise over programmes, especially where there is an overlap in the clientele they are trying to attract. Those promoters vying for the same enthusiast bookings simply have to talk to each other and work to avoid clashes. Some, I hear, are not – rookie promoters I understand – but are ploughing ahead with their own plans with scant regard for what else is in the calendar. As many failed promoters before them will testify, that is not a wise idea.

It might not happen, but as it stands there is a Class 50 tour planned for July 31 using 50008 Thunderer in its new colours and, hopefully, the long-awaited return to the main line for a classmate. The week before, though, had already been earmarked for a Class 50 tour…

Then the following Wednesday there will be a Birmingham to Skegness tour with two Class 20s. On the Saturday there’s a proposed Class 20/37 tour to Carlisle and on the following Wednesday another Class 20 tour from Birmingham to Llandudno. There is also another Class 37 tour on August 14. That’s a lot of trains in a short time.

If all the trains come off then that will be six appealing tours for English Electric fans in just three weeks, all from the Midlands. At a time when the potential passengers may have suffered financially, or otherwise, during the pandemic, this could be considered borderline overkill. Of course, all these tours may not come to fruition, though why Vintage Trains is looking to run two mid-week tours with Class 20s on consecutive weeks could be described as intriguing at best.

And those two weeks are just one example of an excessive demand on people’s time and wallets, if not a clash as such. There will be lots of other tempting tours, some redated postponements, others new tours, all vying for business. Tour operators have their new programmes to add to the diary and naturally they will want to get back up to speed as quickly as possible to make up for those lost months.

The market is fragile and trains not taking sufficient bookings due to clashes, overlaps or just sheer volume so people can’t afford to travel on all of them will do no one any favours. The market has had a torrid time as it is, don’t let’s see trains cancelled due to a lack of bookings. Pip Dunn

(Richard Hargreaves) Locomotive Services Limited’s Black 5 45231, with Class 20 D8107 tucked inside, running as the 1Z30 Crewe to Carmarthen private charter, passes through Shrewsbury on April 2. The steam loco later failed with a wheel flat, leaving the Class 20 to soldier on on its own before a pair of Class 37s took over.