Poll - Should Wightlink Ferries Become Part of Great British Railways?

[whole diary]

[Lee]

I voted for "don't know" but not for "don't care ".

That is the result of a suggestion by the late, great legendary member that was TerminalJunkie. A few of us in the early days used to do Yes/No polls, and he urged us to include a Don't know/Don't care option.

[johnneyw]

I voted for "don't know" but not for "don't care ".

That is the result of a suggestion by the late, great legendary member that was TerminalJunkie. A few of us in the early days used to do Yes/No polls, and he urged us to include a Don't know/Don't care option.

Ah, yes......but isn't there still another option not mentioned so far?

Option 4 "I'll take the hovercraft instead"

Or doesn't it run as late as I thought it did.

Edit to answer my own question.   I've looked on the hover service timetables and it seems the don't run that late but I could have sworn that they used to once upon a time.

[ChrisB]

I'm all for retaining the subsidised services we have of course - but I'm unsure that we can automatically start subsidising any thing further without a good case being made - which is what I was suggesting. Is/was there good use being put pre-covid, or was the ferry company subsidising those runs itself from the profits that aren't now there, for example.

[CyclingSid]

Not a simple Yes/No answer, there are various aspects to this. Part of the problem is that because of the price of housing on the IoW lots of people have to commute to work, including NHS staff.

The having to use the Fishbourne car ferry highlights another aspect, car use, pollution, carbon footprint etc. Birmingham's introduced/deferred Clean Air Zone is a related example. When the Eastney-Hayling foot ferry folded some years ago it took a couple of years or more to get a replacement. In the meantime people had got in the habit of driving the car, either to deliver school children, go to work etc. Since it has been re-established the bulk of that custom has not returned, especially as there is only a bus service on one side now. Going back further in to the mists of time, you could say the same about the Portsmouth-Gosport chain ferry, although I believe the Navy wasn't a great fan of it.

As far as I am aware, unlike trains and buses there has not been any general subsidy for ferries, possibly apart from the Woolwich Ferry and CalMac in Scotland.

[ChrisB]

Not a simple Yes/No answer, there are various aspects to this. Part of the problem is that because of the price of housing on the IoW lots of people have to commute to work, including NHS staff.

Indeed - but this is from those who can afford/live on the IOW & commuting to the mainland.

[grahame]

‘Works’ would mean enough passengers to make those services pay for themselves....so worth continuing without subsidy.

Stepping way back up thread ... as hinted at further down, you raise a number of further questions in that answer, Chris

1. Are you looking at a service which pays for itself financially - i.e. the company running it breaks even at least, or a service which pays for itself economically - i.e. where the lack of the service would hit the area / places served / wider business?

2. Are you looking at the late service stand-alone, or also considering the traffic reduction on services the opposite way earlier in the day?  One of our factors doing late train work is that running a late train help increase loads the other way on afternoon services as many/most journeys are returns

3. Are you looking at immediate operational costs (the difference between the boat sitting moored up and running), or are you looking to add a proportion of fixed costs (depreciation, insurance, etc) to your late evening run figures?

4. If you are also running the car ferry, are you also considering the loss of income from the late service on that route when you consider the passenger ferry?   There may not be as many using the car ferry because they have no choice, but there WILL be some and they'll be  bringing income to that boat, even if it's inconvenient ...

Mention in-thread of the Hovercraft too.  Not close to rail inks in Portsmouth as I recall (so arrivals there by train have an extra bus transfer) and not quite as convenient at Ryde Esplanande to the train (especially with luggage or reduced mobility) as the Pier Head transfer is.

[grahame]

Interesting letter from County Press - considering how a 30 minute train service, 30 minute [boat/ship] service and another 30 minute train service can and should all link up. 

It sounds like - as described in the letter - that both the IOW train service and the [boat/ship] services can run half hourly with very sharp turn arounds at Pier Head - problem being that doesn't give long enough for passengers to transfer both ways, and someone would need an extra train or  boat to make it work.

[Lee]

Voting now closed - Many thanks for taking part, and for the quality of the debate on both sides.

A close run thing in the end with the "Yes" camp nominally just nicking it, but the "balance of power" arguably resting with the "Don't Know/Don't Cares"