The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is celebrating after it received confirmation that it has been awarded £1,000,000 from the Government's Community Ownership Fund towards the costs of rebuilding Bridge 27.
The award forms part of the government's levelling up fund and provides a valuable contribution towards the cost of rebuilding Bridge 27, which is a vital piece of infrastructure in the ongoing operation of the railway.
Rebuilding the bridge will be the railway's largest and most expensive civil engineering project since it became a heritage railway. Bridge 27 was originally built in 1867 and then partially reconstructed in 1889, but in recent years had reached the end of its useful life. Its closure would have caused the railway line to be cut in half, resulting in huge social and economic impacts on the area.
The railway's success in obtaining the grant reflects the many years of hard work by its volunteers and staff in operating the railway and is based on its track record of delivering an excellent experience for visitors, and for building a robust and sustainable operation.
The £1 million pounds grant is the biggest investment for any UK project announced today by the Government's Community Ownership Fund. It will ensure the long-term stability of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway's finances and allow it to continue investing its existing resources across the line and in its fleet.
David Pearson, Co-ordinator for External Finance & Resources at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society, said: “This grant ensures the long-term stability of our finances and allows us to continue to invest our existing resources across the line and in our fleet.”
Keighley MP Robbie Moore said: “So much planning and hard work has gone into Keighley & Worth Valley's Railway's bid for funding and I was so proud to champion this bid with Ministers at the Department for Levelling Up and Communities and in Parliament.
“So much planning and hard work has gone into Keighley & Worth Valley's Railway's bid for funding – and I was so proud to champion this bid with Ministers at the Department for Levelling Up and Communities and in Parliament.”
Best wishes for your ambition for Gobowen – Oswestry; a worthy community ambition.
Congratulations on the success of all the hard work that you’ve put in to securing this grant.
Here in Shropshire, we’ve also won a substantial (though much smaller) grant from the COF towards the restoration of the community-owned Grade II listed station buildings at Gobowen, currently the railhead for the large town of Oswestry. We are pressing ahead with our campaign to re-open the line to Oswestry itself.
Steve Boulding
Chair, Shrewsbury-Chester Rail Users’ Association