The Strathspey
Steam Railway has had the most successful year in its history following the
re-opening of the line between Boat of Garten and Broomhill on the 31st May
this year with passenger journeys to the end of October up by 24%.
In 1974 when
the enthusiasts of the Strathspey Railway Company set about the task of reopening
the line between Aviemore and Grantown on Spey little did they realise that
it would be over 25 years before they reached Broomhill, the halfway point between
Boat of Garten and Grantown. History will show that there were many factors
involved most of which, such as downturns in the economy and the growth of foreign
travel as against holidaying at home, were out of the hands of the dedicated
band of railwaymen and women who were running the Strathspey Railway.
In recent years
the steam railway has made great strides forward, including moving into the
main station at Aviemore in 1999 and the return to traffic of Ivatt class 2,
2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive number 46512 in 2001. 46512 is now named
E V Cooper after one of the founders of the Strathspey Railway Company. However,
the biggest event in the history of the railway since train services were first
restarted on July
22nd 1978 took place on Friday 31st May 2002 when train services began running from Aviemore to Broomhill after
an absence of some 35 years.
GLENBOGLE TICKET SUCCESS.
Broomhill station
is used as Glenbogle for that world-wide television success Monarch of the
Glen. The last filming of the most recent series taking
place only a few weeks before the station re-opened to the public. So successful
has the Glenbogle connection been that the specially printed Glenbogle platform
ticket has outsold the combined platform ticket sales of Aviemore, Boat of Garten
and Broomhill, out of a total of 2,471 sold 1,529 have been Glenbogle tickets,
that is nearly 2 out of every 3.
TOTAL
TICKETS SOLD UP - RETURN JOURNEYS UP.
The success is
not confined to platform tickets, from the opening
day to Broomhill until the end of the season on the 31st October the number
of tickets sold is up almost 20% (compared to the same period in 2001) at 38,431.
Passenger journeys at 79,274 (which is the way railways measure their year)
are also up by 24% which indicates that since Broomhill opened more passengers
are making return journeys.
AVIEMORE/
AVIEMORE STATION BUSIER BUT
BOAT OF GARTEN QUIETER.
The changes brought
about by the opening of Broomhill are most noticeable in the increase in the
number of visitors starting their journey at Aviemore and the decline in the
number at Boat of Garten the former terminus. Almost three-quarters of all tickets
sold on the railway are sold at Aviemore, approximately 17% at Boat of Garten
(36% in 2001) and nearly 9% at Broomhill. It remains to be seen if more people
use Broomhill station next year as it becomes better known and when the road
signs are in position.
Passengers are
of course encouraged to break their journey at Boat of Garten and for next year
there will be the added attraction of the Beechgrove Community Garden project
next door to the station. Boat of Garten offers convenient access before or
after a trip on the train to the Speyside Way
walking route and to the RSPB Osprey Reserve at Loch Garten. For passengers
alighting at Broomhill there is a signposted walk into Nethy Bridge.
AND NEXT YEAR?
Plans are already
in hand to develop next years services. These include a new timetable which
will take into account the lessons learned during 2002, another steam engine,
currently under restoration, is planned to be back in service by mid summer
and Friday lunch trains will operate during the summer months in addition to
those on Sundays throughout the season. The evening diner train, The Strathspey
Highlander, is to have an extended season from early June until mid-September.
The children will be pleased to know that Thomas coming back in May and again
in August.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Enquiries: Strathspey Railway - Ron Black 01389-752214 e.mail: publicity@strathspeyrailway.co.uk
a/src/release38 Registered in Scotland No. 49011 Registered Office:
Aviemore Station, Dalfaber Road, Aviemore, Inverness-shire, PH22
1PY
