87015
Established Member
WCRC operating Windermere branch from this afternoon. Test trips cancelled and running as passenger due to a lack of buses provided.
WCRC operating Windermere branch from this afternoon. Test trips cancelled and running as passenger due to a lack of buses provided.
West Coast to run Oxenholme - Windermere shuttle from tomorrow. First from Ox at 09.25 and last arrival 19.00. Stock not known but RTT Shows Diesel loco and service SSUX.
Is that confirmed or just based on paths in RTT? I would have expected Tim Farron to have tweeted it if it was definitely happening.West Coast to run Oxenholme - Windermere shuttle from tomorrow. First from Ox at 09.25 and last arrival 19.00. Stock not known but RTT Shows Diesel loco and service SSUX.
Is that confirmed or just based on paths in RTT? I would have expected Tim Farron to have tweeted it if it was definitely happening.
Regardless of what happens he's played an absolute blinder today - embarrasing Northern (though they are more than capable of doing that themselves), TfN and Grayling.
Maybe a stupid question, but how have WCRC found drivers who sign the Windermere branch so easily/quickly? Will these be Northern drivers who usually drive the route operating it on their days off?
West Coast to run Oxenholme - Windermere shuttle from tomorrow. First from Ox at 09.25 and last arrival 19.00. Stock not known but RTT Shows Diesel loco and service SSUX.
Has it been approved yet?
I'll ask our control team in a bit if that's the plan , will post reply on here later
Cheers - no matrix connection today ( i know there is a plan - unsure if there has been a go/no go decision)
Well, I guess a trip to Windermere tomorrow calls to see how this pans out.
West Coast to run Oxenholme - Windermere shuttle from tomorrow. First from Ox at 09.25 and last arrival 19.00. Stock not known but RTT Shows Diesel loco and service SSUX.
Poor old Tim Farron is in for a shock when his bright idea simply results in droves of bashers riding up and down to accumulate miles of Class 37 haulage!
Looks like they'll run a roughly 2 hourly service from around 09:30 to 19:00 using the loco-hauled set: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...8/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=WR
Are you sure those journeys are in public service, and not solely crew training trips? Still, even if they're crew-training trips, NR have obviously authorised WCRC to run them , so things are definitely getting serious.
Watch this space - I certainly will be doing!
'After a significant amount of negative publicity over the total suspension of Northern-operated passenger services on the Winderemere branch, it appears that a solution has been found.
On 17th June, West Coast Railway Company operated three return ECS trips as a trail over the branch, using Class 37/5 No. 37669 and Class 57/3 No. 57316, in 'top and tail' formation around a three-coach rake. The move is understood to have been a preamble to a daily service operating while trains are suspended by the franchise TOC.
The run is reported to have been successful with much interest being generated locally and from enthusiasts and Railway Herald understands that a public service, comprising of six round trips between Oxenholme and Windermere, between 09:30 and 19:00, is to commence from Monday 18th June.
Departures from Oxenholme are at 09:25, 10:40, 12:40, 14:40, 16:35 and 17:50, returning from Windermere at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:10 and 18:30, the stock operating ECS from and to Carnforth every morning/evening. How long the service will operate for in a 'top and tail' loco-hauled formation is unknown, although the schedules currently exist in the system through to 22nd June.
It is understood that the service is being operated by WCR following an approach by Northern, but it is also not known how ticketing will work, although with the franchised TOC involved, it is through that normal tickets will be valid. Confirmation is however awaited. The advertised rail replacement bus service is expected to continue to operate alongside the rail service'