Following over six months of closure, the Churnet Valley Railway are welcoming back visitors once again following their first revenue-earning trains earlier this month.
The Staffordshire based heritage railway has, unfortunately, had to remain closed for such a long time due to COVID-19 restrictions and rules.
Donations from supporters, a grant from the Culture Recovery Grant scheme and volunteers have ensured the railway's survival, with a huge amount of work undertaken to improve the line and ensure they were ready for the 2021 season.
Work carried out at the railway includes:
- Kingsley and Froghall Station Interior – A full revamp has been carried out to improve the appearance of the station. The re-decoration has transformed the tearoom and booking office areas, with more railway-themed artefacts on display, making the whole station more appealing to visitors.
- Kingsley and Froghall Station External – New tarmac has been laid along the length of Platform 1. During this process, a re-wire of station lamps, fitting a new security system and some restoration work towards reinstating the North Staffordshire Railway water crane have been completed.
- Track – Almost 400 sleepers were replaced and 1,000 tonnes of ballast has been added to the section of line between Froghall and Consall.
Churnet Valley Railway's Managing Director Gregory Wilson: “It's been an exceptional long winter this year, beyond what we could ever have imagined. But the volunteers have done themselves proud, and the community now has one of the finest railway stations to be found across the country. The attention to detail has to be seen, and we look forward to sharing this with all the visitors due to travel with us. It's going to be a hard season to make up what we've been forced to miss, but we are in the best possible position we could be given all that has happened.”
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