A fundraising appeal has been launched by the Swanage Railway to help overhaul and convert two carriages.

The railway aims to transform two Mark One carriages to facilitate accessible features, such as extra-wide doors and accessible toilets, to allow wheelchair users access to the railway.

Wheelchair users will be able to ride comfortably in these carriages along with any companions.

To help cover costs, alongside the public appeal, the railway has applied to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for a £249,000 grant.

The carriages being converted will be number 4842, built in 1958, and number 4961, built in the early 1960s.

For further information on the railway plans and to donate, visit their website.

 “Our £249,000 National Heritage Lottery Fund application is a huge opportunity but we need to raise at least £25,000 towards the project to make it happen.

“Every donation to the Swanage Railway Trust’s Access for Everyone initiative – no matter the size – brings us closer to a railway that is truly open to everyone, a railway where no-one feels like a second class visitor and a railway that reflects our values of respect, inclusion and community.

“Any donation will make a real difference because every pound gets us closer to creating a more inclusive railway for everyone to enjoy.

“If donors are able to add Gift Aid then that’s even better because Gift Aid costs donors nothing extra. If donors are UK taxpayers, it allows the Swanage Railway to claim an extra 25 pence for every £1 donated – making the support of donors go even further”

 “The Swanage Railway has always been about people. It’s about families making memories, volunteers giving their time and a community coming together to keep something special alive.

“But, right now, the truth is that not everyone can experience the Swanage Railway in the way they should be able to and that needs to change.

“This project is a major step forward and the conversion of the two 1950s former British Railways carriages will not be token adaptations.

“They will be developed to the same high standard seen on leading heritage railways; allowing wheelchair users and those with additional needs to travel comfortably, safely and alongside their families. This is about dignity, it’s about inclusion and it’s about doing the right thing.

“For too long, some of our visitors have had to travel in the guard’s carriage – where they are often separated from their families and with a much more limited experience due to the smaller windows. That is not the Swanage Railway we want to be.” 

Swanage Railway Chief Executive Officer Abbie King