Riviera Trains and West Coast Railways has announced that they have entered into an agreement which will see WCRC acquire their coaching stock.
All of Riviera Trains stock will transfer to West Coast’s ownership from the 30th September.
The sale includes around 60 coaches, including both of the operational and CDL ‘blue and grey’ coach sets that have been used by a wide variety of promoters and operators.
All coaches will move from Burton on Trent to Carnforth in due course, with future operations being handled at both Carnforth and Southall.
Owners of Riviera Trains, Barry Cordell and Operations Manager, Charles Paget, said they were pleased to see the future of the coaches secured.
Barry’s partial retirement will help him focus on his separate Pathfinder Railtours business, which is unaffected by the sale and the tour business will continue to use the coaching stock as part of its ongoing programme.
“Acquiring the Riviera Trains fleet will add security to WCRC charter train operations and I look forward to working with Charles Paget in the coming years to enhance the relationships with their existing customers.”
David Smith
Responses
Marks out of ten to West Coast for acquiring these carriages. At last they have seen the light that if you wish to run a charter business you must comply with the rules of the railway, and not string it out through the courts.
CDL used to stand for Carol Dawn Lybch!
Maybe it still does. The article doesn’t deign to tell us. Personally I have no idea.
my concern is that these are still only air braked, which means they can still only run the 3 black 5s, plus Tangmere and Clan Line, no point having more coaches if they still only have 5 locos for the whole country, would have been better saving the money to fit their Mk1s with CDL or buying some Dual or Vaccum Braked coaches to allow them to run other locos
At least they might have windows on them
perhaps west coast will donate their old coaches to the preserved railway groups nice gesture.
Absolutely Kevin….NYMR. Are struggling