A newcomer to the rail tour scene, Westcountry Railtours, has been forced to cancel its first tour, which they hoped would herald their successful entry into the rail tour market. Westcountry Railtours had been established to specialise in tours from both the west country and other areas of the UK. The train operating company that Westcountry had planned to use has advised them that they were unable to resource the necessary traction and drivers for the tours, and could not accept any proposals for further tours in the future. Westcountry Railtours commented that it may be a coincidence, but this came about only days after they advised the planned train operating company that restrictions they had imposed on tour pickup points and operating locations were impractical. The first tour was due to run on Saturday, 11th June from Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter St. David`s, Tiverton Parkway, and Taunton to StratforduponAvon and Warwick. The schedule was planned so that passengers would take about 5 hours at their destination. After exploring Warwick Castle, visiting the British Motor Museum, and cruising the River Avon, you'll have plenty of time to explore the sights of Shakespeare's birthplace. The company discusses with other rolling stock and train operators to see if a suitable alternative can be found. One of them has already shown a real interest in this operation. This can inevitably take some time and will delay the start of the 2022 rail travel program due to the necessary arrangements. All who book the first tour will get a full refund within 14 days. The company will keep everyone updated on progress as soon as practicable, hopefully within the next 28 days. Obviously, this is very disappointing news, but Westcountry Railtours is working hard to overcome the problems encountered and move forward
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