Enhancing Heritage Railway Operations – Insights from the HRA Spring Conference

Keeping Tradition Alive While Embracing Innovation.

As members of the Heritage Railway Association, we were delighted to attend the Spring Conference in Nottingham. From the outset, the warm welcome from the HRA team and fellow delegates made us feel right at home. Engaging discussions about industry growth, upcoming events, and system challenges reaffirmed our passion for heritage railways. One particular challenge stood out—creating effective seat plans for trains, a surprisingly elusive task!

Key Insights and Industry Challenges

The conference provided valuable insights into the operational complexities of running a heritage railway. Safety considerations were a key focus, highlighting the importance of infrastructure maintenance and resource allocation. We even gained a newfound appreciation for the role of ballasts—an often-overlooked element crucial to track stability and preservation.

Showcasing our advanced ticketing solutions. It was fantastic to reconnect with familiar faces and engage with new contacts while demonstrating how our system can help heritage railways streamline operations and enhance visitor experience.

Ticketing Solutions to Fill Your Trains

One particularly engaging discussion was the talk on "Ticketing to Fill Your Trains," which explored the benefits of online ticketing. The advantages are clear—improved capacity management, increased revenue, and access to valuable customer data to enhance engagement. However, a key challenge remains: how to modernise ticketing while respecting tradition? Many heritage railway enthusiasts cherish the charm of Edmundson railway tickets and in-person bookings, making it essential to strike a balance between heritage and innovation.

At Merlinsoft, we believe this balance is achievable.

Our system ensures that online ticketing is at the forefront while still offering traditional options, including on-the-day point-of-sale transactions, physical tickets, and phone bookings. Furthermore, our seating plan functionality addresses the long-standing issue of managing seat allocations efficiently, giving heritage railways greater control over reservations and customer experience.

Thank You to the Heritage Railway Association

A huge thank you to the Heritage Railway Association for hosting another fantastic event. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with heritage railways, providing innovative solutions to enhance operations while preserving the historical charm that makes these attractions so special. If seating plans, ticketing, or operational efficiency are challenges for your railway, let’s start a conversation—Merlinsoft is here to help!