1998 Timetable now published - 300,000 print run

Report and photographs by Andrew P.M. Wright, Press Officer, March 30th 1998

Swanage Railway volunteers have published their new 300,000 print run timetable which wiIl see more trains run on the relaid Purbeck Line to Corfe Castle and Norden 'park and ride' than on any other independent railway in the country.

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At the height of the summer, there will be 19 trains a day running between Swanage, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden 'park and ride' compared with 15 in 1997. As well as more evening diesel railcar trains to Corfe Castle, there will also be more 'Wessex Belle' luxury dining trains.

Coming into force from Saturday, April 4th, 1998, the new full colour in-house produced timetable - which covers the period from April to December and opens out from a convenient pocket size into larger than A3 size - features a clear and easy to read timetable as weIl as a multi-coloured calendar showing the services available for the day of travel.

The year 1997 has been one of repeated successes for the relaid Purbeck Line. Mare than 123,000 passengers were carried between Swanage, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden 'park and ride' as compared with 101,000 during 1996 - a performance increase cf 22 per cent.

And its 1997 peak summer, Easter and Spring Bank Holiday evening diesel railcar service - first piloted in 1996 - saw its passenger numbers rocket mare than 80 per cent thanks to improved local publicity and a flat £2 all-evening unlimited travel fare.

December, 1997, also saw success for the Swanage Railway's 'Santa Special' steam trains - more than 9,000 people being carried as opposed to 7,000 during December, 1996; a performance up by 21 percent.

Also featuring a description of the Purbeck Line and areas of interest and attractions along the route, the new timetable has been designed and produced by Swanage Railway volunteers David Clifford of Swanage and John Villers of Wool who run Finial Publishing.

The timetable's maps were produced by graphic artist and Swanage Railway volunteer Andrew Maltman of Parkstone in Poole. And the timetable's striking colour photographs were supplied by Andrew P.M. Wright, the Swanage Railway's official photographer.

"We're quietly confident that 1998 will be even better than 1997 which was our best year to date", said Swanage Railway's Passenger Services Manager David Green. "The new timetable is probably the best in terms of design, impact and clarity that we've ever produced in the Swanage Railway's 19 years of operating restored steam trains", he added.

As well as train times during the peak, middle and low season periods, the new 1998 timetable also includes details of ten special events during 1998, evening railcar trains, the ever-popular 'Santa Special' steam trains, and the 'Wessex Belle' luxury dining train which during 1998 will be running every Saturday between May and the end of September.

The new timetable also features the Bird's Nest Buffet at Swanage station - a new and popular addition to the Railway in 1997 - as well as the Swanage Railway shop, joint Swanage Railway and National Trust tickets for reduced rate steam train travel and admission to the ruins at Corfe Castle and cruises along the Dorset coast that can be booked via the Swanage Railway booking office.

With 300,000 copies distributed across Dorset, the south of England and nationwide, the new timetable also includes details of the Swanage Railway's Premier Life membership scheme giving free travel for life on normal Purbeck Line train services, as well as normal membership of the Swanage Railway which now has 3,500 members across the UK and around the world.

If you would like your own copy of this illustrated colour leaflet which provides full details of train times, fares, location map, membership details etc, then please send a stamped addressed envelope at least 8.5 x 4 inches (10 x 21 cms) with your request to the Swanage Railway at the address given on the Contacts page.