What NRM says about £450 ticket
How was that decision to charge £450 made - and who made it? “The pricing of the inaugural run was decided by the Flying Scotsman project steering group, which comprises ten people, including representatives from the senior management teams at York and Shildon, finance, commercial and events delivery teams. A number of considerations influenced the decision, including balancing the need to recognise sponsors and donors who have supported the project and the museum, while still covering the costs of this historic journey.”
How does the NRM justify the figure? “It will be the ultimate experience for the dedicated ‘Scotsman’ fan and include a champagne breakfast and silver-served three-course meal on the return journey. The pricing was benchmarked against other luxury rail experiences running out of London, such as those offered by Belmond, which are at a similar price point. “We offered the chance to win five pairs of tickets, to ensure that anyone, no matter what their income, could have a chance of riding behind the ‘People’s Engine’ on its return to the museum. With ‘Scotsman’ being on display and running at a wide variety of locations in 2016, there are prices to suit every pocket.
What public and/or enthusiast reaction to the announcement is the NRM aware of? “There have been a number of comments, both positive and negative. Here are a couple of examples we found on social media: ‘£450 is indeed steep. The average man on the street isn’t going to pay it. After all, you could get a holiday abroad for the same kind of a money.’ And, ‘The NRM is rightly making the most of all the great PR and income generation opportunities’.”
What are the costs of ‘this historic journey’, given that this is only a one-way journey with Flying Scotsman? “Information in respect of the costs for the event is commercially sensitive for the Science Museum Group and also for our partners in this event and would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of all parties if it were made public.”