Solihull Moors FA Trophy Special Train - 11th May 2024

[silexa]

Bookings have opened for a HST hauled train to Wembley from Solihull on 11th May.

Bookings are being done via Retro Railtours - good if you want an afternoon in and around London with some HST haulage action (or to watch the Solihull Moors game!)

Retro Railtours Booking here!

Prices are:
£79 return for standard class
£109 return for first class

Train is consisting of HST Powercars and Mk2 Rolling stock!

 

[Forty29]

Doesn't say what type of coaches apart from "comfortable inter-city coaches", so guess will be Mk 3 stock?

 

[silexa]

Doesn't say what type of coaches apart from "comfortable inter-city coaches", so guess will be Mk 3 stock?

Can confirm it is Mk2 Stock rather than Mk3. Consist of PC + 1 x First Class, 5 x Standard + Generator + PC

 

[The exile]

Can confirm it is Mk2 Stock rather than Mk3. Consist of PC + 1 x First Class, 5 x Standard + Generator + PC

Didn’t know HST power cars could work with normal hauled coaches - or have these (pcs) been specially adapted?

 

[silexa]

Didn’t know HST power cars could work with normal hauled coaches - or have these (pcs) been specially adapted?

I assume it is why there's a generator in the mix. The Mk2 set is one of the sets based at Nemesis Rail in BUT

 

[The exile]

Wouldn’t have thought that the power cars could communicate with each other through Mk 2s “as built”. But I suppose on a shortish rake from Solihull to Wembley they could effectively t&t with only the leading power car operational.

 

[silexa]

Wouldn’t have thought that the power cars could communicate with each other through Mk 2s “as built”. But I suppose on a shortish rake from Solihull to Wembley they could effectively t&t with only the leading power car operational.

Yeah, this is what is happening

 

[renegademaster]

could be the Railadventure ones one running double headed

 

[silexa]

could be the Railadventure ones one running double headed

It is RailAdventure ones, just the one set. One powered at the front, one DIT on the rear

 

[yorkie]

I've heard through the grapevine that unfortunately, the bookings were very light, and it would have been unsustainable to run the tour; those who booked have been refunded.

 

[38Cto15E]

That's a shame, we need to get the Footex's back on the rails.

 

[yorkie]

That's a shame, we need to get the Footex's back on the rails.

They can't compete with road transport on price; I understand coaches are available for £25 return, i.e. less than a quarter of the cost the train would have been.

 

[Crossover]

I've heard through the grapevine that unfortunately, the bookings were very light, and it would have been unsustainable to run the tour; those who booked have been refunded.

Now posted officially, at least on the Retro socials

 

[silexa]

Confirmed as cancelled

 

[12LDA28C]

That's a shame, we need to get the Footex's back on the rails.

Footexes run quite regularly, they haven't been consigned to history.

 

[GS250]

At that ticket price I'm not surprised. 'Footex' services should not cost double the price of an ordinary day return.

 

[yorkie]

At that ticket price I'm not surprised. 'Footex' services should not cost double the price of an ordinary day return.

It's very expensive to run excursion trains.

Footexes run quite regularly, they haven't been consigned to history.

Nowhere near as regularly as in the past; they are pretty niche these days. I bet only a tiny proportion of football fans have been on a 'footex'.

 

[12LDA28C]

It's very expensive to run excursion trains.

Nowhere near as regularly as in the past; they are pretty niche these days. I bet only a tiny proportion of football fans have been on a 'footex'.

Indeed although not all 'footexes' are immediately obvious as such, for example Club Wembley quite regularly hire stock from Chiltern to get supporters to the stadium for international fixtures. Charter operator LSL have also provided stock for footexes in the recent past. With the limited amount of stock available and ever-increasing hire costs it's clear we'll never see the number of footexes that ran in the 1970s and 80s ever again.

 

[zwk500]

That's a shame, we need to get the Footex's back on the rails.

Out of interest, why 'need'?

 

[Meerkat]

To be honest, as a travelling football fan, I wouldn’t trust the railway to get me to the game on a set train.
I do go by train quite often, but leave loads of slack…..and don’t really want to be on the same train as some of our fans!

 

[Haywain]

and don’t really want to be on the same train as some of our fans!

I would also find that rather off-putting (and that’s our fans, not yours!).

 

[ainsworth74]

Footexes run quite regularly, they haven't been consigned to history.

Indeed Northern quite regularly run them when Middlesbrough play Sunderland for instance. Typically a 4-car 156 will do the honours (used to be a pair of 142s) and as far as I'm aware regular tickets are valid no special fares.

I think what you probably see less of is the long distance footex crossing the country. Though they're not completely consigned to history as you say.

 

[DarloRich]

I think what you probably see less of is the long distance footex crossing the country. Though they're not completely consigned to history as you say.

I think Lumo ran an extra after the FA trophy final for Gateshead fans to get home from Wembley.

They are looking at running extras for the upcoming England game at Sid James Park.

 

[Haywain]

They are looking at running extras for the upcoming England game at Sid James Park.

Is there an England game at the Sports Direct Arena?

 

[Bungle965]

Is there an England game at the Sports Direct Arena?

England v Bosnia!

 

[zwk500]

Is there an England game at the Sports Direct Arena?

England men to play Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland in June

The Three Lions' summer send off for UEFA EURO 2024 will see games at St. James' Park and Wembley

www.englandfootball.com

Euro warm up game against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Monday 3 June.

 

[DarloRich]

Is there an England game at the Sports Direct Arena?

I believe so - Bosnia & Herzagovina will visit the Byker Grove Bowl for a pre euro friendly.

 

[ainsworth74]

I think Lumo ran an extra after the FA trophy final for Gateshead fans to get home from Wembley.

Yep I'm pretty sure you're right that they did. Long distance Footex's definitely still happen but I guess it's more that they don't happen every week for random league games. It tends to be for more major occasions like cup finals, play-offs, etc or for internationals. I do think though that in general the death of the footex, whilst widely reported, is premature!

 

[DarloRich]

Yep I'm pretty sure you're right that they did. Long distance Footex's definitely still happen but I guess it's more that they don't happen every week for random league games. It tends to be for more major occasions like cup finals, play-offs, etc or for internationals. I do think though that in general the death of the footex, whilst widely reported, is premature!

agreed! It is rare for a a longer distance trip to run outside of a cup final.

There was a period a few years ago when London clubs often ran a class 86/87 hauled mkii rake to evening premier league games in the North West but that seems to have died a death. I think that all stopped when Thomas Cook ceased being "official travel partner" of the PL.

 

[Bungle965]

England men to play Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland in June

The Three Lions' summer send off for UEFA EURO 2024 will see games at St. James' Park and Wembley

www.englandfootball.com

Euro warm up game against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Monday 3 June.

I believe so - Bosnia & Herzagovina will visit the Byker Grove Bowl for a pre euro friendly.

It’s nice to actually see an England game being played up North, more of the friendlies should alternate around grounds other than just Wembley.

Too many times I have had to book hotels in London (sometimes at ridiculous cost!) as the FA seems to think that all fans live within the vicinity of the M25.