It's a very hectic time for all of us at present so this is a fairly brief update on our plans for the Broadway opening in a few weeks time.
You will have seen that we started selling tickets on line for the 4 days of Easter some while ago. This was done partly to gauge public interest and give us an idea how busy the trains would be and partly to reduce queuing at booking offices. You may also have seen that we have now stopped selling advance tickets for Good Friday due to the exceptional demand. Obviously for safety reasons we have to limit final numbers on trains and although we have stopped selling in advance, we will be making tickets available on the day up to the point when trains do become full. We have a plan in place to check numbers at each station and on each train so that if we are in danger of being overcrowded at any time, we will stop selling tickets until that full train has departed. At present, we anticipate the very first trains out of Broadway and Cheltenham Racecourse (both timed at 09:40) will be the most crowded. It should get easier as the day progresses.
On the very first train from Broadway will be Lord Richard Faulkner (who will unveil a plaque) and a number of local council officials and major supporters. On the 11:00 departure from Toddington will be ex Chairmen of the plc plus a special guest - Peter Taylor who at the age of 94 has expressed a wish to join us. He drove Cadbury no. 1 on the very first day of steam passenger services! We very much look forward to hearing his memories of that famous day. Overall, the celebrations on that day are being kept very low key as we still have a lot of work to do to complete the station at Broadway.
Sales of tickets for the rest of the weekend are going well but there doesn't appear to be the same high demand. We therefore don't at present anticipate overcrowding and hopefully we will be able to continue to sell tickets all the way through.
As an added attraction on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there will be an exhibition by loco owners groups in the newly opened Tim Mitchell building at Winchcombe. On the Easter Monday we have our usual Easter eggspress with lots of activities also at Winchcombe.
Once we get past the initial excitement of Easter, we start our regular services and from talking to people, I think these will continue to be very busy!
Colin Fewell
Commercial Director
'Celebrations .... low key' - perfectly understandable on Day One, but don't forget to celebrate an incredible achievement when the time is right. Other heritage lines have extended, but what you are doing in recreating a piece of GWR perfection is very much something else. Those pictures of 7903 with the gauging train will have moistened eyes all over the country.
ReplyDeleteWhat level of shareholding was required for the volunteers and shareholders trains? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs we haven't the seating capacity to invite everyone, we felt it appropriate to make the decision we did at £2,000. We we had to draw the line somewhere. The arrangements appear to have been very well received , and hopefully all those who did not qualify understand that. Of course everyone is welcome to ride the full length once the Easter weekend is out of the way.
DeleteI cannot join in, unfortunately, as I have responsibilities down here in Cornwall. However please may I take this opportunity to wish you all the very best, not just for Good Friday, or even Easter as a whole[ but for the whole of the 2018 season.
ReplyDeleteMay the monies come in quickly so as the canopy, footbridge and platform 2 building can be completed.
Regards, Paul. (GWRSA St Blazey committee member).