WELSH GOVERNMENT ASSISTS LLANGOLLEN WITH £70K GRANT
The Welsh Government has provided a £70,000 grant to the Llangollen Railway to help it through the Covid-19 crisis.
But as this issue went to press, the line was waiting expectantly for the Government’s announcement on Friday June 19, regarding the anticipated lifting of some lockdown restrictions in Wales – which will determine whether it can reopen in August as hoped.
Received in early June, the grant adds to a total of around £75,000 raised through the railway’s own appeals. Liz McGuinness, chairwoman of the line’s plc and trust, said on June 17: “We’re in a good position – if on Friday they put things in process.”
Estimating that the combined grant and appeal money would last approximately two months, she added: “It sounds like a lot, but it isn’t – our payment holidays will end in July, and then the furlough scheme is reducing in August, so it’ll get eaten up pretty quickly.”
The Government’s June 19 announcement was expected to include the reopening of schools and non-essential retailers (with social distancing measures) and easing restrictions on outdoor activities – but it was not known where indoor attractions such as preserved railways would stand.
Nonetheless, the LR is drawing up plans, in cooperation with the Office of Rail & Road, to reopen in August if permitted, with social distancing measures in place.
Said Mrs McGuinness: “We’ve sent out surveys to volunteers, staff and customers, and of 2,000 customers who responded, 87% said they’re happy to come back and can’t wait for us to reopen.
“We’ve also had a very positive response from the volunteers – some are understandably reluctant because they’re still shielding themselves or others, but the majority are keen to come back.”
If the railway does reopen in August, engineering staff will also be able to start work on the overhaul of Jeremy Hosking’s ‘9F’ No. 92212, she confirmed.
Three preserved lines – the
Wensleydale, Nene Valley and Welshpool & Llanfair Light railways – have also received grant aid from the National Lottery Heritage Fund under its Covid-19 ‘Heritage Emergency Fund’ scheme.
The Wensleydale’s grant of £50,000 will be used for two projects that would ordinarily have been funded by ticket income – the overhaul of Mk 2 carriages and improving facilities at the newly restored Leeming Bar station house, which itself was supported by a £368,000 Lottery grant.
The NVR has received £47,000, which Acting General Manager Kim Shaw said would be sufficient to pay the line’s wages and bills for four months, while approximately £23,000 raised through donations is being “spent wisely” on repairs and maintenance around the railway. Like other lines, it is hoping to reopen in July.
WLLR press officer Andrew Charman said that its grant of £25,200, together with approximately £48,000 raised through its ‘Tracks to Recovery’ appeal, “will see us through the next two or three months”.