Demise of Past time rail
 

I have just read the latest edition of Railway Herald, and it would seem that there will be no more Cotton Mills Express unless another company steps in, as Past Time Rail have gone into liquidation. There is a statement on their home page with information for customers who have purchased tickets on planned tours which of course will not now take place.:mad: :(
Some tours have been taken over by Torbay express ltd.
Regards Mike.

It is very sad. I have had some great days out with Past Time Rail including the Torbay Express. At least the futur of the Torbak Express looks secure.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Even more sad for those like me to whom Past-time Rail owe money. We had booked for the recent Welsh Marches Express which was cancelled with no explanation. We did pay by credit card so hopefully might get it back but I have little sympathy for companies who take people's money when they must know that they are in deep financial trouble. It's little more than fraud.

Quite understand reflectors point of veiw, but the loss of a rail tour company is to be regretted!
Richard

Apparently if you paid by credit card then you will be able to get a refund from the credit card company. If you paid with a cheque or debit card you become a creditor, and will have to wait your turn. Altogether a sad state of affairs.
Regards Mike.

Yes, that's the theory re payments by credit card - let's hope it works as I'm £390 out of pocket as it stands. The website suggests it'll take some time though.

Don't get me wrong - I'll miss Past-Time Rail with whom I've travelled many times over the years although The Marches Express was to have been the first for quite some time. Like other charter operators, I fear they have priced themselves out of the market. I've normally travelled Premier Class and taken my wife and what for us both we have spent on a day out by charter train, goes a good way towards a holiday or at least a more than decent short break away.

I'm not saying that it's necessarily the charter firms fault but I do think prices have got unaffordable for many. We went on a recent charter trip on an HST organised by the Cotswold Line Promotion Group to Torbay for £30 each first class. A comparable trip with a commercial charter company would have cost three times as much. I'm sure the CLPG managed special rates with First Great Western but it's a very big difference.

Hope you don`t have to wait too long to get your money back. I will miss the Cotton Mills, looked forward to it coming through Blackburn every month. Will have to make do with the Fellsman when it starts in July, provided Statesman don`t go the same way!
All the best Mike.

Having been on two SUPERB rail trips with Past-Time and then not hearing from them for some time, I did wonder why it was?

I've now received advice from the liquidators re claiming back from the credit card company so that'll be going in ASAP. I do feel sorry for any who didn't pay by credit card who I fear will get little or nothing back.

They've also sent me details of the creditors meeting which I hope to go to.

Thats good news, keep us posted if you get to the meeting.
Regards Mike.

Also sorry to hear of the company's demise. I travelled on the one-off "Tin Bath" including a trip up the Penistone line in March. That train was fully booked but a number of "Cotton Mills" have been cancelled over the last few months and maybe there was nothing more to be dredged from that market. The new "Fellsman" is sold out on the first two Wednesdays and because it only runs in high summer I suspect it will be OK. However, even the well established "Scarborough Express" was struggling to get good load factors last year so it will be interesting to see how the regulars fare in the coming season.

John W

Sorry I couldn't get to the creditors meeting but I read in one of the railway magazines that they have debts in excess of £0.5 million so that I guess they must owe quite a few loco owners and stock providers as well as individual fare paying punters. It could have repercussions as I doubt if many will be able to stand big losses. A sorry business for all concerned.

Thanks for the update, thats a lot of cash owing!!
All the best Mike.

Not just Credit Card reimbursements!!

BBC Money Program recently said that Visa Debit card holders can also successfully claim re-imbursements - but that the Operators (such as Alliance & Leicester) don't offer it unless challenged...

May be of use to some Past Time Customers - hopefully.

I'm sure that'll be useful info for some. Although, as a credit card payer, I should get my money back, and of course I'm thankful for that, but as credit (or debit) card customers, we all have to pay in the long run.

I hold no brief at all for the banks (especially after the events of the last few months) but I'm not entirely comfortable that I (and all the other banks customers) have to pay through charges, interest rates etc., for money lost by those running Past-Time Rail and all the other outfits that go bust. After all, it's not the bank's money - it's yours and mine!

Good evening all
I was very sad to hear of the demise of Past Time Rail, I hope that everybody that is owed money is reinbursed in full. I also hope it does not put loco owners of making there loco's available for tours. I was not a customer of PTR but I did have a close call last year with Kingfisher Tours last year, it seems very sad that these firms seem to act in such duplicit manners towards there customers even though they must know there financial position when they accept bookings.

I believe one of the catering companies which Past-Time used is owed £10,000 and I read that John Farrow of UK Railtours who used Past-Time as a booking agent has lost £110,000.

I would doubt that the creditors will actually get anything as I don't imagine that the company would have any assets to speak of which could be disposed of to raise some cash to pay off the debts (eg premises, equipment etc).

Just to let you know the good news that my credit card company (MBNA) has credited my account with the full sum owed to me by Past-Time Rail. Thanks to them and to the liquidators who advised me how to go about it and the lesson for all is to pay by credit card.........just in case.

One happy outcome from an unhappy situation, glad you got it sorted.
Regards Mike.

Thanks, quite a relief for me at least. I've just had the full list of creditors and it looks as though the amount owing is in excess of £550,000 so I'm sure many others will not be as fortunate. As I suspected, there are a few companies owed quite big amounts but mainly customers who had paid for trips, I guess, who are owed sums from just a few £s to several hundred.