Downpatrick back on track
TRAINS made a triumphal return to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, Ireland’s only 5ft 3in gauge heritage line, on Saturday, July 16. The line’s Northern Ireland Railways 450 Class railcar set operated the first services in two-and-a-half years, a gap caused by Covid-19, delayed maintenance, and an ongoing dispute with Newry, Mourne and Down Council which is preventing volunteers and passengers accessing the main station building at Downpatrick.
DCDR vice chairman Mike Beckett said: “We are delighted to be back running again after such a gap in operations and special days, including our Super Train, and Jurassic Park-themed events have been sell-outs. We are running diesel only at this stage as steam engine overhauls were delayed because of the Covid shutdown and, especially, by the sad death in February of Bob Edwards, our vice president and steam engine supremo.
“We do hope, however, to have steam back in action for our Christmas Lapland Expresses later this year.”
The BR Engineering-built Class 450 diesel, which starred in an episode of TV’s Derry Girls earlier this year (as reported in Heritage Railway), will be in action every Saturday until September 3, with the possibility of the line’s NIR 80 Class multiple unit also coming into service towards the end of the season.
Attempts to break the impasse with the council were continuing to allow full access to all buildings at Downpatrick station.