The Churnet Valley Railway has announced that the line has reopened after flood repairs were completed.
The heritage railway suffered serious flood damage back in October. This left a section of track near Consall hanging in mid-air after the ballast was washed away.
Thanks to excellent offers of support from the rail industry and the railway's local community, a list of repairs have already been completed.
This has led to the Churnet Valley Railway being able to reopen the line as of this weekend.
The Churnet Valley Railway has said that a huge thank you to Stobart Rail is required after they proposed a method for repairs and then completed them in less than a month.
These repairs though have come at a six-figure cost. This kind of money is huge and the Churnet Valley Railway does not have the finance available at such short notice. However, the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have stepped in with a Bridging Loan to ensure the railway can make the payment on time and ensures the railway's Santa Specials run as planned for 2019.
Donations are being received online to raise funds to repay the Council loan, and for larger help, £1 Shares are available to purchase with a minimum purchase of £100. See the Churnet Valley Railway website for more information.
What did the officials say?
Events manager Jack Ilczyszyn had this to say
“Obviously our priority was to ensure repairs were completed in good time for our annual Santa event, with it being one of our biggest events of our entire annual programme. This is why we are so extremely grateful for the grant from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, as it shows a real belief and faith in what we offer to the local community. The railway is at the heart of this community, and to receive such support means we can operate our Santa & Steam specials as planned for what will be our 24th season since we began running trains in 1996. Tickets can be booked online now, with bookings available across all dates. There are nine trains a day offering this special joinery through Staffordshire's hidden valley, and we're looking forward to welcoming everyone to this captivating event”
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