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COMMON c ROUND for road and rail

31st August 1956, Page 44
31st August 1956
Page 44
Page 45
Page 44, 31st August 1956 — COMMON c ROUND for road and rail
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

By Ashley Taylor, Railways Provide Valuable Excursion Traffic for Coach Operators: York a Focal Point

ASUBSTANTIAL amount at the traffic carried by road passenger transport operators in the course of a year is derived directly from the railways in the form of rail-road excursions.. hi addition to the advertised trips in s-ason, many private parties are catered for, though these tend to be concentrated in the off-peak periods so as not to clash with British Railways' heavy holiday commitments,

Usually, the road sections of excursions will be covered under private-hire arrangements, but where the numbers are likely to be small they are sometimes linked up with lightly loaded stage services.

In the areas of which I can speak with personal knowledge I have noted Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., Percival Bros. (Coaches), Ltd., West Yorkshire Road Car. Co., Ltd., United Automobile Services, Ltd., Ribble Motor Services. Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., taking part in these joint operations. Road-rail excursions originated before the 1914-18 war, when the railways ran their own road passenger vehicles, but it is only in recent years that the form •they operate under today has become such an important feature in the railways' holiday programme.

In general, the object of the trips is to bring famous beauty spots or historic places within range of a day's outing. The advertised tours are based on rail journeys from a number of places to a selected

point of concentration. Then follows a bus tour, the day being completed by the return rail journey to the points of origin. Normally, bookings are made at cheap fares for ordinary trains on specified days, the road trips being included as part of the total charge.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays during the holiday months West Yorkshire coaches can often be seen working out from York. The rail picking-up points cover the West Riding, Hull, Sheffield, Doncaster and Darlington, and the usual road section of the journey on Wednesdays includes Helmsley. RievaiiIx Abbey and Castle Howard.

From similar picking-up points, there are .excursions on Thursdays specifically for the purpose of viewing Castle Howard, which is a notable example of the work of Sir John Vanbrugh, builder of Blenheim Palace.

Different considerations apply to the private-party work, which the railways endeavour to promote before the season begins. For such parties, special compartments Or coaches are reserved, or special trains run.

These parties Orten aim at longdistance excursions. A modest example is Peterborough to York and back by train, the road section comprising a trip over the, north Yorkshire moors to Scarborough. Earlier this year, I saw 16 West Yorkshire vehicles dealing with a single party on this run.

Much work goes into advance planning. Long before the season begins, regular customers and likely prospects are contacted by the railways. When their requirements have been noted, suggestions about schedules are made, and estimates submitted.

Before a party-booking is accepted, a check is made to ensure that the full quota of vehicles will

be available on the date concerned. Often the basic arrangements for mid-summer trips are agreed while the snow is still on the ground.

With the aid of officials who have an intimate knowledge of the .district to be visited, catering arrangements are made so far as possible to meet the wishes of the promoters. As a general rule, meals are taken in the course of the road tour, although this is not always so. On some occasions, rail restaurant car services may be available so that luncheon and dinner can be provided on the outward and return journeys, respectively. This leaves the maximum time free for road travel and sight-seeing.

By this system, it is possible to carry for long-distances excursion parties of i size well beyond the scope of many coach operators. Although there are no statistics on which to rely, it seems probable that many elderly persons are attracted to this type of outing. A Bristol single-decker employed by West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., alongside an A.E.0 belonging to a private operator in the car park at Rievattlx Abbey. Co-ordinated road-rail excursions have a useful objective in bringing distant places of interest within range of a day's outing.

Railway Sponsors

In the case of advertised excursions, the railways are, of course, the sponsors. Fixtures are arranged many months in advance, destinations being chosen in the light of previous experience. In these cases, accommodation is necessarily limited, and coaches are prearranged.

Passengers are invariably 'urged to take tickets in advance, in general bookings being accepted only up to the number of seats available. In each case, a check of the position is made in advance, either by correspondence or by telephone. Large parties are often accompanied by a railway representative, whose duty is to deal with any unforeseen requirements.

Popular trips into Swaledale are run every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from Tyneside, Teeside, and York and district. The concentration point here is Richmond, 'whence tours are run by Percival Bros. to such places as Reeth, Low Row, Gunnerside, Muker and Keld. ,

Sheffield is the initial destination for manyday visitor's from Yorlc, Hull and the West Riding, S.U.T. providing a round trip through Hathersage, Baslow and Rowsley to

Chatsworth House and Monsai Dale.

From the West Riding, Sheffield and York there are rail facilities to Scarborough connecting with a coastal bus tour run to Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay by U.A.S. Another excursion employing U.A.S. provides rail travel to Richmond and coaches to Aysgarth Falls and Wensleydale.

Ribble vehicles are employed each Wednesday to carry passengers arriving at Wennington through Melling, and Kendal, to Windermere. They join the B.R. steamer at Bowness for a sail to Ambleside, Waterhead, and back. The passengers continue by coach alongside the lake to Newby Bridge, and follow the road through Levens Bridge and Carnforth to Morecambe, from where the return journey is by train.

• Many similar facilities are available in which every endeavour has been made to give the excursionist the best of these two fields of transport, a development which has undoubtedly encouraged extended travel on a considerable scale among a section of the public to which the railways' conventional trips make little appeal.


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