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Coronavirus virus effect on Heritage lines Summer 2020

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theironroad

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I imagined that is was just a online shop to buy calendars , trinkets etc when I saw your post.

It's a great idea though, just the sort of imaginative marketing/fundraising needed. Could be developed by linking to a video of the actual activity in some cases. (Edit, just noticed the tea one does already.)
 
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Harvey B

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I imagined that is was just a online shop to buy calendars , trinkets etc when I saw your post.

It's a great idea though, just the sort of imaginative marketing/fundraising needed. Could be developed by linking to a video of the actual activity in some cases.
I think they should give people who donate a voucher for whatever they buy or a free ticket for a day of their choosing (if you domate £20 or higher) when they reopen
 

R G NOW.

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Are charities not covered by the government scheme announced? Obviously some non railway charities have hundreds of FT employees and many on decent salaries.

Won't the 80% thing cover them as well. I'd hope so and hope any FT employees on PAYE within the heritage sector are also eligible.
This is what I had in mind when posting earlier.
 

Mat17

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The 80% will cover the paid railway staff.

However, as many on here have already expressed, the length of the current crisis is unknown, and the pressure of having a year's lost revenue (potentially?), on top for those that already have pressing financial issues, linked with the probable need to reduce emissions in the near future - thinking about various coal bans and the like which have been mooted, means that our heritage railways are facing a very uncertain future - and certainly a future where there is going to have to be some shift in operation to survive.

When all this is considered with the fact that many people are going to have some degree of financial difficulties over the coming months/years (thinking of those on reduced 80% incomes, or worse still self employed or recently unemployed individuals) where getting their own finances back on an even keel will mean that extra spending (i.e. non-essentials), holidays, heritage railways, museums etc. won't figure into it. Many railways might not be able to rely on a sudden bounce back to normality. But I guess that all depends upon how long this thing lasts.

Very worrying times indeed.
 

YorkshireBear

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I think for many places. Being open for santa season will be key that's where many make or break the year. Hopefully, many can cut their costs down to the bone by furloughing staff and stopping expenditure. Appeals to keep things ticking over and reduce the requirement to dip into reserves or worse debt.

Online shops great idea. Little bits like that will make all the difference. I just hope they all survive, many are the beating heart of their community.
 

Harvey B

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I think for many places. Being open for santa season will be key that's where many make or break the year. Hopefully, many can cut their costs down to the bone by furloughing staff and stopping expenditure. Appeals to keep things ticking over and reduce the requirement to dip into reserves or worse debt.

Online shops great idea. Little bits like that will make all the difference. I just hope they all survive, many are the beating heart of their community.
I think the make or break for heritage railways is late June to Early September where many tourists will want tor ride on heritage railways but each to their own
 

fireftrm

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Are charities not covered by the government scheme announced? Obviously some non railway charities have hundreds of FT employees and many on decent salaries.

Won't the 80% thing cover them as well. I'd hope so and hope any FT employees on PAYE within the heritage sector are also eligible.
Yes they are eligible for the government Employee Retention Scheme. However that doesn't cover the full costs if they pay the staff full rate and they are generally not going to benefit from the rate relief - most don't pay rates - or the other support as loans are still loans
 

reddragon

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If you shop on Amazon, switch to smile.amazon then each purchase donates to the heritage railway of your choice.
 

Starmill

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When people are cooped up at home they are not spending money. Therefore those who can work and pensioners will still get paid but won't be spending it.
Personally I've saved almost no money from being stuck at home in the initial month, because I've been buying things for making spending huge amounts time at home nicer. Everything from a clock to a dehumidifier. I still require a desktop monitor which is going to be a ferociously expensive purchase. Collectively the increase in energy consumption has already been huge too. I didn't spend much on things like daily lunch or the pub anyway. I refunded my season ticket, the majority of which I've spent. The savings I'm likely to make in months three and four of permanent home-working I will be strongly inclined to keep too, in case business drops off or jobs are placed at risk.
 

Iskra

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The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway appears to have become a storage line for Northern Rail pacers. I assume they are earning money for that.
 

Ianno87

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How are things like basic track maintenence being dealt with during the lockdown? Is it all on hold as not "essential" enough?
 

YorkshireBear

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How are things like basic track maintenence being dealt with during the lockdown? Is it all on hold as not "essential" enough?

I cn answer for where I volunteer, all maintenance of infrastructure on hold. Including the bridge renewal!
 

Harvey B

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The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway appears to have become a storage line for Northern Rail pacers. I assume they are earning money for that.
Did the acquire another Pacer or are they just keeping them in warm storage for Northern
 

fireftrm

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How are things like basic track maintenence being dealt with during the lockdown? Is it all on hold as not "essential" enough?
Minimal maintenance with a couple of members of staff still working, no volunteers - such as weekly line inspection and jobs they can do allowing for suitable distancing
 

YorkshireBear

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Minimal maintenance with a couple of members of staff still working, no volunteers - such as weekly line inspection and jobs they can do allowing for suitable distancing

Not sure whether the weekly line inspections are that neccesary to be honest. Once your shut I'd rather just wait and do line inspections before reopening. Although depends if you have paid staff or not.
 

wagwan my g

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Just wondering if anyone knows how some of these fundraisers are going, just seen in an earlier post the SVR's one is going well and apparently the WSR's one is going well too.
 

Solent&Wessex

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It should be noted of course that lots of Railways will have fixed costs. Whilst it would be possible to furlough most paid staff and you would virtually eliminate operating costs, you will still have to pay insurance, gas, electric, IT and website hosting, and other fixed contracts which can't easily be stopped for a few months. You may even need to spend additional money on security patrols to protect your now mothballed assets.

Then there is the important matter of safety critical inspections and examinations. Steam locos etc require inspections and examinations, often by an outside firm. If these don't get done they will need doing later before you can use your engines again. Whatever happens there will be a cost involved.

Event planning. Because there is no plan or end in sight then it is impossible for railways to plan for future events. Let's say it is likely that you will be able to run Santa Train season. When do you start planning for it? Most places would ordinarily be ordering the thousands of presents at this if the year and start selling tickets in June / July. When and how do you do this things if there is no end in sight even if you think you might be ok in 8 months time?

And next year and the years after. If you suspend work and expenditure this year on things like steam loco overhauls or bridge replacements or other essential infrastructure projects then in a few years time when Loco A goes out of boiler ticket you haven't got anything to replace it because your whole restoration programme is now a year or so behind.

Specialist suppliers - the heritage industry relies heavily on specialist suppliers. If the railways stop ordering then those suppliers risk folding which poses problems getting those supplies ordered when you do want them.

Managing crew competence - if you have been shut for 7,8 , 9 months or more your crews will likely be out of competence and require some examination or assessments before operating re commences, as well as medical exams being out of date.

Quite simply- stopping running for x months creates a raft of problems in the future. Some of which are logistical rather than immediate financial challenges, but all of which have the potential to be financial challenges in the future, even if they are not now.

What ever happens I am firmly convinced that most heritage railways will need to write off most of this year, because even if restrictions on movement etc are lifted in July, it will simply not be possible to start up again the week after as though nothing had happened.

As has been highlighted above, as most railways rely on income from events to survive and pay for the larger items of expenditure then even a short closure period could knock out a significant and important amount of income, and events even after opening are at risk as the planning required for many can't be done in time for them to happen.
 

Neen Sollars

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S&W excellent and sobering post. How many working steam locomotives are there in the UK? I was thinking 500 but on reflection more like 200? Given that boiler tickets run for 10 years, 10% will be out of ticket this year leaving 180 to run next year and likely that no new restorations will be completed this year and probably for first six months of next. Therefore another 10% will be out of ticket before any replacements arrive. Looking at only 162 steam locos by middle of next year? Looks as if there will be home fleet galas only in 2021. I am unsure about actual numbers but I think the percentages will be about right.
 

Neen Sollars

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Just wondering if anyone knows how some of these fundraisers are going, just seen in an earlier post the SVR's one is going well and apparently the WSR's one is going well too.

Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway over £100k raised against target of £250k. But that is to pay to complete an essential repair following an embankment slip.
 

duffield

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Not sure whether the weekly line inspections are that neccesary to be honest. Once your shut I'd rather just wait and do line inspections before reopening. Although depends if you have paid staff or not.

I can imagine that there could be some minor issues that might turn in major and expensive issues if you left them until reopening.

E.g.
- If we had a lot of rain, blocked drains not dealt with promptly might lead to ballast washouts and track damage.

- Temporary measures can sometimes be put in place to stop earth movements worsening

So I'd say a weekly inspection would still be prudent.
 

Harvey B

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Just announced today: The government are allocating £750 million towards charities
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...n-coronavirus-funding-for-frontline-charities
Charities across the UK will receive a £750 million package of support to ensure they can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today (Wednesday 8 April).
  • £750 million pot for frontline charities across the UK – including hospices and those supporting domestic abuse victims
  • £360 million direct from government departments and £370 million for smaller charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund
Could some of this go to heritage railways because they are lacking on income and some are even in jepordy of closing and most of them are classed as charities anyway
 

theironroad

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Just announced today: The government are allocating £750 million towards charities
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...n-coronavirus-funding-for-frontline-charities

Could some of this go to heritage railways because they are lacking on income and some are even in jepordy of closing and most of them are classed as charities anyway

Reading that press release I don't think heritage railways should get their hopes up too much right now. It sounds like it's very much geared towards charities doing work now, during the crisis rather than leisure activities.
 

Harvey B

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Reading that press release I don't think heritage railways should get their hopes up too much right now. It sounds like it's very much geared towards charities doing work now, during the crisis rather than leisure activities.
I think leiaure charities need government grants. I hope heritage railways and other leisure charities do get some sort of government grant even if they don't get their share of this money
 
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