One-third of FR/WHR staff made redundant

WARNINGS THAT Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway (FWHR) was likely to make at least 20 staff redundant as a result of COVID-19 have come to fruition with 32 of the line’s 97 permanent staff losing their jobs, in addition to those who had already left. It means the permanent staff is now 60 posts, mainly in engineering. Although the FWHR achieved a £1m income in 2020, this was in contrast to the £6m in a normal year. It managed to run some trains but annual visitor numbers tumbled from 220,000 to 30,000. The Welsh government has not funded preserved railways in the same way as they have been in England, with only a £150,000 grant made to the FWHR, despite the government having more money available for grants per capita than has been available in England.