The West Somerset Railway has updated RailAdvent on the railway's emergency funding appeal as they steam beyond £200,000.
The current figures show that the appeal currently stands at £221,996.96, this is an increase in £5,887.39 in the last week.
The West Somerset Railway is trying to reach £500,000 as an estimate in what it is going to need to beat the COVID-19 impact.
West Somerset Railway PLC's Emergency Appeal – £159,598.26
- Website Donations – £60,885.00
- Cheque Donations – £17,303.26
- Share Purchases – £39,460
- Station Donations – £41,950.00
West Somerset Railway Association – £33,727.00
- Rail Renewal offline – £29,940.00
- JustGiving – £3,787.00
West Somerset Steam Railway Trust – £18,298.70
- Peall Railway Trust donation – £15,000
West Somerset Railway ‘Living History' Weekend – £5,000
Total – £188,984.15
A new WSRA Appeal has been started the refurbishment of the line's DMU, which has raised £1,615 in the first month, and this figure has been added to the overall total.
The WSRA's loco renewal fund stands at £3,368.00, which has now been included in this weeks total.
With passenger trains unlikely to return to the WSR until Easter 2021, the railway plan that £500,000 should cover fixed costs, along with costs to prepare the railway for when reopening is appropriate.
For more information or to support the West Somerset Railway, please visit their website here.
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I love the WSR and find people’s generosity heartwarming, but £200,000 does seem rather a drop in the ocean for a line of this size and the apparent complexity of its organisation.
The railway seems to have been attracting a great deal of adverse comment for some time. Reading between the lines of numerous forum threads, the WSR seems to be in a bad place (not geographically, obviously) and may even be the least well placed of all the major heritage lines to survive the current difficulties.
Can anybody with genuine inside knowledge say what the problems are?
Would my modest donation be better spent elsewhere?
Wow, The West Somerset Railway are still doing so Successfully Well as ever on their Fundraising Role To Combat the Covid-Pandemic.
Once Again, Well Done to the WSR on their Fundraising so far… This Heritage Railway Definitely still has A Future, As with fellow other Heritage Railways across the UK Put-Together.