‘Life-saving’ lottery boost for RPSI aids Covid recovery

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) has benefited from a £167,300 award from the National

Lottery Heritage Fund’s

Heritage Recovery Fund.

The grant will help cover staff wages, insurance costs, crew training and digital outputs, and generally soften the blow caused by the pandemic.

The society, based in Whitehead, has an annual turnover of £1 million, but has sizeable fixed costs, such as insurance and salaries to cover each year.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the usual income streams, the RPSI had to furlough staff, fall back on its financial reserves and seek assistance from various funding bodies, as well as support from its 1,200 members. “This grant is a real life-saver as far as the society is concerned,” said RPSI chairman John McKegney.

“The RPSI hit the buffers when the pandemic struck last March.

“At a stroke we lost our two main income streams – our main line steam trains and Whitehead Railway Museum.

“Although the museum was able to reopen for three months during the summer, we have not so far been able to resume our popular trains such as the ‘Steam & Jazz’ and ‘Portrush Flyer’.

“This funding will enable us to accelerate our plans to get up and running again, once we get the green light from the Executive.”

The RPSI hopes to reopen Whitehead Railway Museum during the late spring, with a planned return to main line running later in the year.