Bluebell Railway only for the wealthy

[seahermit]

I was thinking of popping over to Sheffield Park one Saturday before the season ends, never seen this railway before and it's not far from me in East Sussex.

Colourful, interesting website and I admire all that they have achieved, but finding precise and clear info on the website is difficult, info is spread about in different places, prices are not prominently and clearly displayed and it really could do with some tidying up.

However, the most astonishing thing is the price structure. I know that the whole line needs a lot of hard work and it all costs money, also the virus lockdown has made things difficult for them. But as far as I can work out the cheapest ticket for me as a single person is £45 (includes tea and sandwiches) for a return journey (it doesn't seem possible to do a one-way trip) and that is currently between just two or three stations, not the whole line! But the earlier train, leaving in the morning, costs £75 and as far as I can tell that doesn't include food! I have found return tickets up to Scotland which cost only a few pounds more.

There is also little info about getting to the line except by car, the assumption being that everyone has a car. But I much prefer train travel (or hoofing it) and that is why I sold my car! Elsewhere online I finally found a bus which runs from Lewes to Sheffield Park, but of course it doesn't seem worth the trekking or the expense, just for half an hour or so on the Bluebell.

It's a shame and I wonder if other preservation lines operate at such a high price level. I can understand that some families will want to make an occasion of it, have a meal etc., but surely there must be plenty of others who just want to enjoy a simple train trip, maybe en route to somewhere else.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

The Watercress Line has an excellent train connection at one end and lots of buses at both ends
Places to park a vehicle are sadly prominently mentioned in website

 

[Iskra]

Is the issue that you have to pay per compartment, which inflates the price for a singleton, but then on the other hand reduces for each extra person that joins?

I had to pay for a compartment that I occupied singly on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway yesterday, but that was £30 which I could just about justify for an 18 mile round trip.

 

[peterblue]

I saw a similar pricing structure for the Ffestiniog railway up in Wales too. Due to the plague, you have to book a specific compartment and it's not cheap at £50 each.

 

[Iskra]

I saw a similar pricing structure for the Ffestiniog railway up in Wales too. Due to the plague, you have to book a specific compartment and it's not cheap at £50 each.

On the face of it, it makes sense.

But, they are putting off solo travellers, so they could have empty compartments which could otherwise have at least one paying passenger in. At the same time, they could be undercharging larger groups.

From a revenue yield perspective, it doesn’t seem to make too much sense.

I can only applaud the EVR for keeping the headline price vaguely sensible- indeed all trains were sold out that day.

 

[etr221]

The Bluebell, like all preserved railways, is having to run in a 'Covid Secure' way, and like all - or at least most - of them this is severely affecting what they can do. And (unfortunately) like most of them they haven't made the substantial changes to their website to make it as clear as they might what they are offering.
As with most preserved railways the current standard offer is based on pre-booking a compartment (for your party), for a round trip from one particular station (and which may or may not cover the whole line) - which can be good value if you can fill a compartment, but won't be if you can't.

Like the rest of us, they would love to get back to normal, and let people just turn up, board trains, and travel - but I fear that is still some way off.

And if you feel like providing feedback to the Railway (Bluebell or other), as to why you might have visited, and why you didn't, I would urge you to do so - I don't imagine they have anyone monitoring this forum!

 

[STINT47]

At the Great Central Railway they are charging per person do a single adult can have a compartment and only pays £11.

To ensure that the entire train isn't booked like this the system will only sell a set number of compartments for single occupancy.

Overall a sensible compromise that hopefully keeps everyone happy.

 

[STINT47]

Deleted

 

[James Wake]

As a Bluebell volunteer it is naturally sad to read this, I haven’t been back down since Covid, but the way they are running the services is the most safest way. It isn’t ideal for solo travellers and I totally get it but as mentioned, you can’t put multiple solo travellers in one compartment. I could go and ride anytime I want as a working member but at the moment I can’t. Hopefully the situation will improve so we can get back to how it used to be before

 

[Iskra]

At the Great Central Railway they are charging per person do a single adult can have a compartment and only pays £11.

To ensure that the entire train isn't booked like this the system will only sell a set number of compartments for single occupancy.

Overall a sensible compromise that hopefully keeps everyone happy.

That does seem an optimal compromise and £11 is very reasonable. I will look into booking that!

 

[Coach Restorer]

Complete rubbish. Pre-booked is £50 for a compartment for a group of 6, or an entire family (of up to 10 people) during half term week (Mon-Fri). Or turn up and buy a platform ticket (£4), including free parking, giving access to platforms, Loco Shed, Steamworks! exhibition and Museum, and travel as a single person at a normal fare (I think something like £17, with refund of the £4) if seats free on the day - I don’t think there hasn’t had space on any train (which has 39 compartments) in the last month.

 

[pdeaves]

Complete rubbish. £50 for a compartment for a group of 6, or an entire family (of up to 10 people) during half term week. Or turn up and buy a platform ticket (£4), including free parking, giving access to platforms, Loco Shed, Steamworks! exhibition and Museum, and travel as a single person at a normal fare (I think something like £17, with refund of the £4) if seats free on the day - I don’t think there hasn’t had space on any train in the last month.

So I can understand this better, which bit is rubbish?

 

[Jan Mayen]

Complete rubbish. Pre-booked is £50 for a compartment for a group of 6, or an entire family (of up to 10 people) during half term week (Mon-Fri). Or turn up and buy a platform ticket (£4), including free parking, giving access to platforms, Loco Shed, Steamworks! exhibition and Museum, and travel as a single person at a normal fare (I think something like £17, with refund of the £4) if seats free on the day - I don’t think there hasn’t had space on any train (which has 39 compartments) in the last month.

It's actually £18, which I've done twice now since reopening. The only problem is getting there by public transport. Ive used a taxi from Haywards Heath to get to Sheffield Park, then the bus to Cooksbridge, except on the Saturday just gone when it failed to turn up☹️

 

[seahermit]

I appreciate all the replies. The fact that there is some debate about quite how the fares policy plays out seems to bear out my impression that the website is not clear and informative.

I understand the need for booking a whole compartment (although nowhere is that clearly explained) - fine, that's reasonable in the circumstances, but why not try to also fit in a few solo travellers when possible? And at a reasonable price? I found nothing on the website about fares for single travellers. And I don't think that platform tickets are in fact available, again couldn't find info on that. I did find one or two things suggesting that access to the museums etc. is restricted (or unavailable) - again not clear.

It is a bit disappointing. I know that the lockdown has been difficult for everyone but getting clear, precise info to the fare-paying travellers is just as important for the Bluebell as for any orher train company. I will still go there sometime and support them, but not at a cost of £75 for a half hour trip!

 

[packermac]

So I can understand this better, which bit is rubbish?

The pricing structure quoted by the OP I would say. But his points about the website are very valid, even after the revamp very difficult to find anything on there. As a (distant)member very disappointed with the web offering for years

 

[Coach Restorer]

The availability of platform tickets is in the FAQ on the web site, as it the availability of compartments to single travellers on the day. Yes, not that easy to find on the web site.
It's complete rubbish to say that the Bluebell Railway is only for the wealthy, which was the title of your posting. And if you think it's a just a half hour trip then you're either being deliberately misleading, or don't know what you are talking about, since the round trip is 1.5 hours. I went there with some friends the previous weekend, and we arrived for the 11am train, and left three hours later, without even having time to look round the museum.

 

[JohnElliott]

The online booking system doesn't help -- I travelled on Sunday, and the website didn't make it clear at each step whether you were entering the number of visitors, or number of compartments (and certainly didn't mention the £18 turn-up-and-take-your-chance option).

 

[Starmill]

It does make some degree of sense not to take an advance booking for a single person at an appropriate one passenger rate, unfortunately. To try to bring revenue in the railway will want to do everything possible not to turn away a same-household group, who can afford to pay the group booking rate. If one can pay the solo rate and travel in a private compartment 'on standby' then that's potentially a good deal because if you're lucky you're getting private space to yourself at a good rate. It's disappointing that this wasn't better communicated, though.

 

[seahermit]

I'm sorry if the title of my original post ruffled some feathers! But it made the essential point - that besides coming across contradictory information on the website (and on some important points no information), I did indeed find one fare quoted at £75 and another at £45. And it was clearly stated that the whole line was not available, only the stretch between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.

I fully accept that I may have formed some wrong conclusions, got some things wrong, but that is because I found the webite very confusing and, after struggling with it for some hours, I gave up and have put off a trip until things return to something more normal. I suppose also that travel arrangements may have been updated by now, since we are in a constantly evolving situation. I did send off a reasonably polite email about the ticketing info - didn't expect a reply and didn't get one.

 

[30907]

I'm sorry if the title of my original post ruffled some feathers! But it made the essential point - that besides coming across contradictory information on the website (and on some important points no information), I did indeed find one fare quoted at £75 and another at £45. And it was clearly stated that the whole line was not available, only the stretch between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.

I fully accept that I may have formed some wrong conclusions, got some things wrong, but that is because I found the webite very confusing and, after struggling with it for some hours, I gave up and have put off a trip until things return to something more normal. I suppose also that travel arrangements may have been updated by now, since we are in a constantly evolving situation. I did send off a reasonably polite email about the ticketing info - didn't expect a reply and didn't get one.

Could I suggest revisiting the website. Maybe in response to your comment, the standby fare is now the first to show on the fares page, and the timetable is clear that trains run to/from Kingscote but without boarding/alighting there.

PS My tablet picked up a mobile-friendly version.

 

[seahermit]

I checked the website again and it does appear that services have been updated, but I still could not find a clear statement about what routes are actually running and whether all stations are now accessible (just a mention of East Grinstead - some track problem I recall). It isn't the best layed-out website, I'm afraid.

 

[cactustwirly]

As a Bluebell volunteer it is naturally sad to read this, I haven’t been back down since Covid, but the way they are running the services is the most safest way. It isn’t ideal for solo travellers and I totally get it but as mentioned, you can’t put multiple solo travellers in one compartment. I could go and ride anytime I want as a working member but at the moment I can’t. Hopefully the situation will improve so we can get back to how it used to be before

I don't get this at all, can they not just run open carriages. Or ask the solo travellers to wear a facemask, only having 1 person per compartment is a bit OTT.

 

[James Wake]

I don't get this at all, can they not just run open carriages. Or ask the solo travellers to wear a facemask, only having 1 person per compartment is a bit OTT.

I have now thanks to the posts further seen that compartments are sometimes sold on the day, I agree it’s a good idea the Grand Central have. I can’t answer for why the railway decided to do what it did

 

[Coach Restorer]

I don't get this at all, can they not just run open carriages. Or ask the solo travellers to wear a facemask, only having 1 person per compartment is a bit OTT.

Because a train of open carriages, using alternate seating bays, has a maximum capacity, with social distancing, of something like 160 passengers, and everyone must wear a mask, no parties of larger than 4 people, and somehow arrange for people to unload one bay at a time, using a train of about 220 tons tare requiring a class 4 or larger locomotive, whereas using the vintage compartment stock, with complete social distancing between family groups (important for public confidence in their safety), who can remove their masks when on the train, and open the droplights for ventilation if they wish, there's a capacity for up to 373 passengers with a tare weight of 140 tons, hauled by a Class 1 or 2 locomotive, so much more economic to provide a service at a time when every penny counts.
And when cleaning the carriages between trips there are far fewer touch-points to clean on compartment stock than on corridor stock.

And it looks like this!