Heritage railways passengers numbers

[Non-Believer]

I guess the justification is that not all public services or amenities can be run profitably, or even at a break-even. That's in their nature and has to be accepted, sometimes if we want them, we've got to be prepared to pay for them.

BUT - there's a world of difference between the above and pouring millions of pounds into ventures with proven unacceptable levels of loss and projects with no proven realistic business case or likelihood of ever recouping any if it.

The whole cruise passenger/rail visitor charade is a pipedream myth, built on equally contrived and mythical figures which is now consuming huge amounts of uncatered for time, money, other people's business prospects and those businesses themselves in some cases, no doubt.

Largely, it would appear, in the name of egos and job justification. But it's public time and money. It's supposed to be accountable. And needs to be monitored, justified and accounted for.

It's not being.

[foxdaleliberationfront]

7 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

I guess the justification is that not all public services or amenities can be run profitably, or even at a break-even. That's in their nature and has to be accepted, sometimes if we want them, we've got to be prepared to pay for them.

BUT - there's a world of difference between the above and pouring millions of pounds into ventures with proven unacceptable levels of loss and projects with no proven realistic business case or likelihood of ever recouping any if it.

The whole cruise passenger/rail visitor charade is a pipedream myth, built on equally contrived and mythical figures which is now consuming huge amounts of uncatered for time, money, other people's business prospects and those businesses themselves in some cases, no doubt.

Largely, it would appear, in the name of egos and job justification. But it's public time and money. It's supposed to be accountable. And needs to be monitored, justified and accounted for.

It's not being.

 

 

There's little justification for the railways being funded by taxpayers (certainly to this extent).  Bus Vannin can be viewed as a valuable public service - people can get to work / social inclusion and all the rest of it. The railways don't do that and are just the hobby interest of a few anoraks. 

[WTF]

the railway could be used instead of a bus but it would need modern motive power and carriages, rather than toast racks and steam.

[Derek Flint]

4 minutes ago, WTF said:

the railway could be used instead of a bus but it would need modern motive power and carriages, rather than toast racks and steam.

Mercedes have a solution.....

 

[foxdaleliberationfront]

8 minutes ago, WTF said:

the railway could be used instead of a bus but it would need modern motive power and carriages, rather than toast racks and steam.

Why though? 

A bus can take people to/from the centre of towns and villages. Drop them off at the hopsital/their place of work. A train is by its very nature stuck to the rigid tracks that it runs on... as much as I hate the waste on countless [unnecessary] new buses, they make a lot more sense than endless tens of millions on new choo choo trains! 

[WTF]

42 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

Mercedes have a solution.....

 

don't tell dumbworth.

[WTF]

37 minutes ago, foxdaleliberationfront said:

Why though? 

A bus can take people to/from the centre of towns and villages. Drop them off at the hopsital/their place of work. A train is by its very nature stuck to the rigid tracks that it runs on... as much as I hate the waste on countless [unnecessary] new buses, they make a lot more sense than endless tens of millions on new choo choo trains! 

in theory it is direct and faster without any traffic jams. and it brings you to the bus station in Douglas  rather than considering it a train just view it as another bus route with no privately owned   traffic to consider.

[foxdaleliberationfront]

27 minutes ago, WTF said:

in theory it is direct and faster without any traffic jams. and it brings you to the bus station in Douglas  rather than considering it a train just view it as another bus route with no privately owned   traffic to consider.

Maybe for somewhere with massive distances between towns and villages. Not on the Isle of Man. Would it really be faster? 

 

So at the moment we have a 15 minute bus service frequency. Could the same be provided without spending endless millions on new tracks and passing places? I doubt it, but maybe an anorak could work it out for us? 

[Numbnuts]

Increasing or reinstalling train services is a no no as lots of the previous land has been sold or moved on .. Bridges demolished and the likes .And you'd still be up against the 'have to have my car' mentality . 

[WTF]

Fair points.

[foxdaleliberationfront]

14 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

Increasing or reinstalling train services is a no no as lots of the previous land has been sold or moved on .. Bridges demolished and the likes .And you'd still be up against the 'have to have my car' mentality . 

This. Plus we can buy buses off the shelf. The trains here are some quaint little type/gauges that would need massively expensive custom built trains.  Not like the Isle of Wight where they reuse old tube trains. 

[Neil Down]

2 hours ago, Numbnuts said:

Increasing or reinstalling train services is a no no as lots of the previous land has been sold or moved on .. Bridges demolished and the likes .And you'd still be up against the 'have to have my car' mentality . 

Maybe get to the root of the "must have my car" by removing the ability to park where they like. Utilise the many car parks that are dotted around

[Numbnuts]

1 hour ago, Neil Down said:

Maybe get to the root of the "must have my car" by removing the ability to park where they like. Utilise the many car parks that are dotted around

Haha you feeling optimistic today aren't you ..I agree but it's not happening anytime soon sadly . Maybe because if costs it could be viable later when everyone's pushed onto electric cars or what other option they come up with . 

[finlo]

30 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

Haha you feeling optimistic today aren't you ..I agree but it's not happening anytime soon sadly . Maybe because if costs it could be viable later when everyone's pushed onto electric cars or what other option they come up with . 

Flying electric cars, them's the answer!

[pongo]

3 hours ago, Neil Down said:

Maybe get to the root of the "must have my car" by removing the ability to park where they like. Utilise the many car parks that are dotted around

Making all roads double yellow would be a good start. Trying to get down through Douglas with people parked on both sides is a nightmare. Especially when the person coming the other way doesn't realise that there is plenty of space for two to carefully pass. Being able to tell how wide the car is should be on the driving test though.

Those residential streets have ended up being used as car parks. Parking meters would be another option.