£250,000 ‘All Change At Chirk’ appeal launched

GLYN Valley Tramway Trust has launched a £250,000 ‘All Change At Chirk’ appeal to finance rebuilding the Glyn Valley Tramway (GVT) platform and station building at Chirk, and repair the adjacent retaining wall. The appeal also seeks to start a ‘fighting fund’ for asset purchases such as further trackbed land.

The site of the GVT station, alongside the national network station, last had rails in the mid1930s and had become engulfed by trees and vegetation by the time clearance work commenced some three years ago. This work has revealed parts of the platform edge and lower courses of brickwork for the old booking office and waiting room.

Reconstruction of the old station will give the trust a base from which the aspiration is to commence rebuilding an initial section of the old line. The trust has planning consent to reinstate about a mile of the old tramway from Chirk station to a temporary station at Pontfaen.

GARETH EVANS This view of the old Glyn Valley Tramway station at Chirk taken from the road bridge on December 28, shows the results of clearance work undertaken in recent times, revealing the outline of the old GVT station building. The GVT line to Glyn Ceiriog, part of which Glyn Valley Tramway Trust aims to revive, passed under its own arch to continue behind the photographer.