Latest news with #heritageRailway
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Nene Valley Railway continues 'urgent appeal' in Peterborough
A railway said it still has some way to go to refill its financial reserves despite a "fantastic" year of year The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) launched an urgent appeal to raise £300,000 to keep it running in the face of financial railway, which has been running near Peterborough since the 1970s and featured in a 1980s James Bond movie, has since raised £120,000. Chairman Michael Purcell said NVR was "more than just a railway attraction; it's a community of volunteers, a legacy, and a symbol of our industrial heritage." NVR's financial challenges followed a combination of a two-year deficit after the Covid pandemic and an increase in operating costs.A fundraising target was created to refill its reserves, maintain operations, conduct essential repairs and infrastructure heritage railway said it had received grants and donations, but the best way for the public to support it was riding on the train. Mr Purcell said: "We are calling upon all those who cherish the heritage and charm of Nene Valley Railway to join us in this crucial effort. "Your contributions will not only help us weather the current storm but will ensure that the railway can continue to inspire and delight our visitors and volunteers for years to come."The railway runs for 7.5 miles (12km) from Peterborough Nene Valley station, through Orton Mere, Overton station, Wansford - and finishing at Yarwell has featured in 150 commercials, TV programmes and films, including Octopussy, which starred Roger Moore as Bond. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wansford railway marks 80 years of steam engine Thomas
A heritage railway charity is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Thomas with a 14-mile "big birthday adventure" train trip. The famous talking steam engine character was created by the Rev W Awdry, who wrote the first book in The Railway Series in 1971, he named a steam engine Thomas after his lead character and it has been in service at the Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough, since O'Regan, commercial manager, said: "This is one of the very small numbers of times each year that Thomas runs on the main Nene Valley Railway line." "It's a one of a kind experience seeing the excitement on the faces of the kids - and actually the parents too, as every adult was a kid at some point and many remember Thomas fondly." In 1946, the Rev Awdry became rector at Holy Trinity Church in Elsworth, between Cambridge and Huntingdon, which is where he wrote another 25 books about the engine. He initially created the character to entertain his three-year-old son Christopher when he was sick with a bout of measles. Nene Valley Railway's Thomas was built in 1947 by Hudswell Clarke, and for years it was in service at Peterborough's British Sugar factory, where "the factory workers also called him Thomas", said Mr O' engine usually runs short trips between Wansford and Yarwell stations, which takes about five minutes each way, with a pause for 15 minutes to allow the engine to turn around. The 80th anniversary event is one of four full 14-mile trips this year, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Wansford."We'll be having a bit of party on the platform to mark the big birthday adventure, with a barbecue, entertainment - and a chance to help fill Thomas up with water," said Mr O'Regan. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
Ravenglass Railway in Lake District celebrates 150th anniversary
A narrow-gauge heritage railway line beloved of Lake District tourists, walkers and train enthusiasts is celebrating its 150th Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway - known by locals as La'al Ratty, meaning little railway in Cumbrian dialect - was originally built to transport iron ore from hillside mines above Boot and down to the later opened to passenger traffic and is now a tourist attraction with its own museum, which is hosting a special event to mark the museum's manager said the line was "woven into the fabric of the local landscape of west Cumbria". The line, originally in the narrow gauge of 3ft (914mm) between the rails, was built to transport iron ore mined in the hills above Boot down to was commercially opened on the 24 May 1875, and opened to passenger traffic a year later. In 1913, it closed due to diminishing quantities of iron ore and falling passenger two years later, it was acquired by miniature railway engineers and prolific model makers WJ Bassett-Lowke and R Proctor-Mitchell, as a base for testing their little locomotives. These engines ran to a smaller 15in (381mm) gauge and so a narrower line was laid along the route. Wainwright's walks In the 1920s, local quarrying recommenced close to the line, and it was used to transport granite, with ownership transferred to the Keswick Granite ceased operation in 1953 and the line - still also used by passengers - was eventually offered for it came up for auction in 1960, locals and enthusiasts came together to try to save it and managed to place the winning insufficient funds had been raised, and the balance of the purchase price was put up by Midlands stockbroker Colin Gilbert and local landowner Sir Wavell Wakefield Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society was formed "for the purpose of preserving the railway, which is a continuing function until the railway can run no more".It is now a thriving visitor attraction, and in 2007 a new station and visitor centre was opened at the Dalegarth for Boot terminus. Especially popular with families, it also attracts railway enthusiasts from all over the world, and two locomotives in the museum act as "ambassadors", travelling to events around the is also used by walkers to access the wider areas at either end of the intermediate station stops where it links to walking routes were documented by Alfred Wainwright in his 1978 publication, Walks from Ratty. The anniversary is being marked by events including a specially chartered train, a guided walk, visiting locomotives and behind-the-scenes experiences. Narrow-gauge railways, as their name suggests, are railways where the tracks are closer than a standard Winter-Moore, manager of Ravenglass Railway Museum, said: "This little railway is woven into the fabric of the landscape of west Cumbria - not only physically but also in terms of its history and what it means to the local community and the team of people involved in it. "From something that was initially created to serve industry, its purpose is now as a much loved visitor attraction, delighting families and railway enthusiasts alike. "As we celebrate the 150th anniversary, the railway is looking forward to delighting more visitors for many years to come." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Funding bid for Somerset Heritage Railway link rejected
Efforts to connect a heritage railway with mainline services have hit a snag after the government refused to fund the West Somerset Railway (WSR) runs between Bishop's Lydeard, a few miles outside Taunton, and Minehead via numerous small stations in west Council and West Somerset Railway had submitted a business case asking for £137,000 from the Department for Transport (DfT) to connect the line with mainline great Western Railway services at department has now announced it will not be providing funding for the project, but will hold discussions with the council to see what improvements can be made locally. Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, raised the issue with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in the House of Commons on 15 said people in Tiverton and Minehead face "many challenges when it comes to transport connectivity" and that the railway connection would allow students to access the sixth form facilities in Taunton and boost tourism. Ms Alexander said the department "does not currently have any plans to take forward a development link between Bishop's Lydeard and Taunton".A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: "We are disappointed this link is not being considered, having worked closely with WSR on the business case."We look forward to the DfT reaching out to discuss this further and will continue to lobby for better regional transport connections with our partner authorities in the Peninsula Transport sub-national transport body." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Horn marks 140 years since Swanage station's first departure
A brass horn, believed to have marked the departure of a station's first passenger train 140 years ago, has been sounded to mark the handheld horn is said to have been blown at Swanage Station in Dorset when the first service left for Corfe Castle and Wareham in May the horn was Swanage Railway volunteer Peter Sills who, as a teenager, travelled on the line's last British Rail passenger train on 1 January and railway volunteers attended a special event to mark the station's 140th anniversary on Saturday. Event organiser Clive Hardy described the opening of the line in 1885 as a "seismic shift" for the Isle of Purbeck, turning the small fishing town of Swanage into a "day-trip destination".He said: "The new 25-minute train journey from Swanage to Wareham cost 11 pence, compared with a traditional horse and carriage journey taking one-and-a-half hours at a ticket price of two shillings and sixpence."Most of the 10-mile branch line was ripped up following its closure in 1972 but has been reinstated as a heritage railway after years of work by Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts said: "The afternoon was not just a commemoration of 140 years of history but also a celebration of almost five decades of devoted volunteer efforts by several generations of determined men and women who have battled and campaigned to rebuild the Swanage Railway." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
