Westcountry Railtours

02/04/2022

Sadly to date we have still been unable to secure alternative rolling stock, so currently looking at a plan for a change of direction for the business. So we are looking into arranging holidays by train and plans are already underway for 2023. There will therefore be a change in the company name at same point and changes to the website.

30/01/2022

Please see our "URGENT" News release in connection with our 2022 Rail tour programme.

News It is with great regret that we must advise that our first two tours are unable to go ahead as planned, we have recently been advised by our train operating company that they are unable to resource the necessary traction and drivers for these tours. Further to this, our rolling stock provider d...

19/01/2022

We are pleased to advise we have launched our applications for volunteer train stewards, details can be found in the following link

https://westcountryrailtours.co.uk/careers

Current Vacancies Train Steward's We are currently recruiting for volunteer stewards for forthcoming rail tours. Click on the vacancy title to view full details.   —————————————————————————————————————————————...

18/01/2022

If you have not already done so, you should start to see a number of press releases in the railway media over the coming weeks.

16/01/2022

Well, the first tour has been online for some 48 hours and sadly despite the huge support and backing for tours from the South West, Ticket sales so far have been very limited.

In order for the first tour to go ahead, we need to sell enough seats at least cover costs by the end of February! This is in order to meet our Network Rail planning deadline.

If we are unable to achieve this, then we will have to consider the future of viable tours from the region and consider the more larger populated areas, as many other tour operators already operate from.

We have done all we can to keep ticket prices as low as possible, but sadly with the stock having to come from the Midlands, the operating costs, without any Heritage Diesel or Steam Traction are higher than expected, due to an increase in costs.

We are still working hard behind the scenes to provide some heritage diesel and steam traction (subject to availability) later in the year. We are also looking into alternative traction than class 67's, but this is is subject to pathing / timing requirements.

So basically we need BUMS on SEATS to make operations OUT of the West Country a viable option going forward.

We look forward to your comments and feedback.

16/01/2022

https://westcountryrailtours.co.uk/tour20220611/

Image by Robert Sherwood Warwick & Stratford-upon-Avon Saturday 11th June 2022 Join us for a day out on our first rail tour with two destination choices on offer. The medieval market towns of either Stratford-Upon-Avon or Warwick. Our Journey will take us east from Taunton, across the Somerset Level...

15/01/2022

We are pleased to advise that our first Rail tour has gone live and bookings have commenced!!

13/01/2022

** UPDATE** - We are pleased to advise that the site is currently undergoing LIVE testing before the launch of our first tour within hopefully the next few days.

We kindly ask that if anyone finds a booking form, DO NOT attempt to make a booking until informed we are ready. Any booking made during the test phase WILL take your payment, but any booking will be automatically deleted.

Once we are happy that all is working well, we will update accordingly, with out mailing list being notified first.

31/12/2021

We had planned on announcing our first tour on the website on the 01st January 2022, but sadly despite our huge efforts, we are still awaiting confirmation of a few more details. We are hoping to have these confirmed by no later than the end of next week, then our mailing list will be given at least 48 hours prior notice of the public launch. We are anticipating that the initial tours will sell out fast!

31/12/2021

We would just like to take a few moments to wish all our supporters a happy New Year, lets make the 2022 tours programme a huge success!!

26/12/2021

** Staffing ** for anyone interested, we are planning to advertise for staff early in the New Year. Initially this is proposed to be a pool of volunteers, with a limited number of paid staff. It is hoped that as the business expands we will be in a position to take on staff on a more permanent basis.

Further details to follow.

22/12/2021

We are getting very close to launching our first tour for 2022, we are working flat out through the various quotes / details etc to achieve this early in the New Year! Those who have registered to our mailing list will be given at least 48 hours notice of the tour for priority booking before general release.

09/12/2021

Just had a good chat with a guy in connection with railway magazine's, so the first press release should be hitting the headlines soon! Many thanks, we need all the promotion we can get. hopefully we can make the 2022 tours programme a huge success and hopefully also bring some various types of traction (subject to availability).

06/12/2021

Make sure you sign up to our mailing list for priority notification when tours are released.

06/12/2021

Further to discussions, we are pleased to advise that it has been agreed we can have the use of 2 x class 50's for one of our tours in 2022. Once final details have been agreed we will notify further.

We are still working on a possible steam loco and other traction.

04/12/2021

We are delighted to advise that so far the following of this venture has been immense and beyond what we expected.

Sadly, even with social media, we are not always being notified of questions people might have and we are doing our best to respond to as many enquiries as possible.

If you have a specific question or enquiry regarding our tours, please email us at [email protected] where we can hopefully respond to such enquiries in more detail.

04/12/2021

We are looking for some good quality pictures of rail tours for use in promoting the business, therefore required for use on website, social media, brochures etc. If anyone either sells their images for a reasonable cost or is willing use of their images with credits, I would love to hear from you.

03/12/2021

**Update** We are pleased to announce that the final detailed plans for our first two rail tours have been approved and submitted, and awaiting confirmation, we hope to be able to announce these early in the New Year at the latest! One of these should see some serious 37 Thrash, by not 1 but 2 locomotives over the Central Wales Line.

In addition, we are working hard behind the scenes in an attempt ' to secure two Class 50's on one of our tours for 2022 and hopefully at least one steam hauled tour.

26/11/2021

To sign up to our mailing list, use the link below.

To be added to our mailing list and receive information on forthcoming tours, complete your details below. Surname First Name Your email Town

25/11/2021

We are pleased to advise that our FIRST scheduled tour has reached the final planning stages and we are down to the fine details prior to launch. The first tour is planned for Saturday 11th June 2022 from Paignton to either Warwick or Stratford-upon-Avon. Hauled by a class 67, we have requested an outbound route from Taunton via Castle Cary, Newbury, Reading West, Didcot and Oxford. The return routing via Birmingham Snow Hill, Kidderminster, Worcester, Evesham to Oxford and return as per outbound route via Reading to Taunton. We are also working on a couple of off train options. Full details will be published once confirmed.

11/11/2021

**Update** We are pleased to advise that following a conference call today, we have been offered much better hire terms and have agreed a plan for a limited number of tours starting in 2022. If these tours are successful we have the option to add alternative dates / tours.

In order to keep things simple, the initial tours will be day trips to tourist destinations as freight lines and steam / heritage diesels are more complex to organise and at increased costs.

The initial tours being planned are as follows;

Paignton to Warwick / Stratford-upon-Avon
Paignton over the Heart of Wales Line
Manchester over the Heart of Wales Line
Exeter to Chesterfield for Chatsworth House / Crich Tramway
Nottingham to Paignton
Yeovil to Chester
Manchester to Bath / Bristol

In addition, we are planning for a number of Christmas trains for November / December 2022.

We aim to expand the tour options in 2023 (subject to the success of the initial tour program).

In view of this we propose to continue to work on the tours and hopefully be in a position to have the first tours online by the New Year at the latest.

We would welcome your feedback on the initial program of tours or perhaps even tours you might like us to consider for 2023!

09/11/2021

We are working hard behind the scenes to secure a series of tours for 2022, sadly this has been delayed by restraints, barriers and limitations placed on us by our rolling stock provider. However we are pleased to advise that we have a conference call scheduled for later this week and hopefully we will be able to resolve the issue's that we are being faced with to a satisfactory level. We then hope to be in a position to move forward with the proposed tours for 2022.

11/10/2021

07/10/2021

You can now sign up to our mailing list at the following link: http://westcountryrailtours.co.uk/mailing-list and be the first to be notified of upcoming tours!

But please be aware the website is still under construction.

2022 tours will be available as soon as confirmed.

To be added to our mailing list and receive information on forthcoming tours, complete your details below. Surname First Name Your email Town