Lewis lamb62)
Member
- Joined
- 30 May 2017
- Messages
- 30
Does anyone know what type of people ride the west Somerset railway, is it just tourists and rail fans or do people ride it to go to wirk etc..
Or bus from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard: Service 28 (Minehead - Taunton) calls at Bishops Lydeard station when the railway is operating. GWR have a ticket which will get you to Taunton station, relevant connections to BL station and "a day's unlimited adventure" on the West Somerset Railway. Details: https://www.gwr.com/destinations-and-events/heritage-railways/west-somerset-railwayGWR from Paddington to Taunton, taxi to Bishop's Lydeard, steam train to Minehead. Same in reverse for the way back.
Or bus from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard: Service 28 (Minehead - Taunton) calls at Bishops Lydeard station when the railway is operating. GWR have a ticket which will get you to Taunton station, relevant connections to BL station and "a day's unlimited adventure" on the West Somerset Railway.
Very few, if any, people use heritage railways for 'regular' travel to work, for shopping, etc. The train services are simply too slow, infrequent and run at the wrong times (and, at certain times of the year, not at all) to make them a viable means of commuting.or do people ride it to go to wirk etc..
This sounded good to me but I have just tried to book it from Gloucester, tried several different Saturdays when the railway is open but every time it just says ‘fare not available ‘Or bus from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard: Service 28 (Minehead - Taunton) calls at Bishops Lydeard station when the railway is operating. GWR have a ticket which will get you to Taunton station, relevant connections to BL station and "a day's unlimited adventure" on the West Somerset Railway. Details: https://www.gwr.com/destinations-and-events/heritage-railways/west-somerset-railway
The no. 28 bus runs twice per hour and departs from the car park on the South side of Taunton station, outside the ticket gate on Platform 2.
Dave
Many heritage lines have trumpeted this utopian 'community railway' ideal over the years. Precisely none have succeeded in making it work.
It has worked solely because of the vast sums of money, much of it public funds, that have been invested. The financial gain to the area was a factor.I would suggest the Swanage Railway's 'Park and Ride' from Norden is a case where it has worked?
I occasionally commute on it between BL and MH when I need to get to meetings in Minehead!
No thankscould be a home for some of the Pacers
7 dates this Summer 2019 announced 08/07/2019: (Link)I see there was an item in the news that the WSR were open this weekend through to Minehead and did very well, it also mentioned that GWR are looking into a Shuttle serviuce again to Taunton from Bishops Lydeard. (Do they still do something similar from Exeter to Okehampton, where is also a preserved line?)
Taunton Link for WSR 2019
The WSR and GWR are together providing a rail link between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on seven Saturdays during the summer of 2019. Details at a glance are:
Dates. Trains will run between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on the following Saturdays:
July 27
August 3, 17, 31
September 7, 21
October 5
(on 3 August, trains will call additionally at Norton Fitzwarren)
Times (with WSR train connections) will be:
Saturdays only:
GWR Taunton (plat 2) dep 09.39 10.28 12.10 15.37 16.36
GWR Bishops Lydeard arr 09.56 10.45 12.26 15.54 16.53
WSR Bishops Lydeard dep 10.15 11.00 12.40 16.20 -
WSR Minehead arr 11.35 12.20 14.00 18.00 -
WSR Minehead dep - 10.05 - 14.30 15.25
WSR Bishops Lydeard arr - 11.30 - 15.52 16.50
GWR Bishops Lydeard dep 10.03 11.45 12.53 16.09 17.11
GWR Taunton arr 10.22 12.05 13.10 16.26 17.28
Change trains at Bishops Lydeard in both directions.
Tickets can be bought on the train. There is a flat fare of £4 each way (£2 for children).
Further dates after October 5th are planned and will be announced later.
/QUOTE]
7 dates this Summer 2019 announced 08/07/2019: (Link)
£5 car park for day then £8 return on top of WSR fare.
Expensive day out.
I wonder what the return bus fare is from Taunton to B.L. ?
The only connection to the mainline is the existing one, facing Taunton. AFAIK, the Barnstaple line was accessed from the same junction off the mainline as the Minehead lineIs there disused Freight infrastructure that could be re used to enable a train to travel in and leave Bishops Lydeard in another direction? Are there that many stations on the GWR main line now that could be served by a stopping service further West?
The only connection to the mainline is the existing one, facing Taunton. AFAIK, the Barnstaple line was accessed from the same junction off the mainline as the Minehead line
That’s right Duffield.And as I remember it, the stub of the Barnstaple line now forms the 'bottom' of the Norton Fitzwarren turning triangle.
could be a home for some of the Pacers
Do the modern disability standards apply to a heritage railway running in to a Networkrail station? (NYMR, Spa Valley, Cholseley, Isle of Wight, Strathspey, Peak rail and others)which don't meet modern disability standards so couldn't run to Taunton but would be a lot cheaper to run than a manor kettle
IOWSR runs adapted vehicles in every train and is not actually connected physically to the electric railway.Do the modern disability standards apply to a heritage railway running in to a Networkrail station? (NYMR, Spa Valley, Cholseley, Isle of Wight, Strathspey, Peak rail and others)