A long-standing twinning arrangement between the Ffestiniog Railway and the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways, established in 2006, has seen regular staff exchanges, which continued until 2015 before pausing due to operational challenges and the pandemic.

The programme has now resumed, with German colleagues visiting and working across the Welsh heritage railway as part of the first Skills Exchange. Activities carried out during the visit included shadowing locomotive crews, guards, control, signalling, permanent way, workshops and customer-facing teams, alongside an induction and familiarisation day.

The visit has once more enabled knowledge sharing and best practice exchange, supported by staff and volunteers. The partnership is expected to continue developing and strengthening over the coming years.