Directly Operated Railways Limited, the company established by the Government in 2009 to manage Train Operating Companies that come back to the public sector, today announced that it is in discussion with industry parties concerning the possibility of commissioning a new 11-car Pendolino train on the East Coast Main Line.
Elaine Holt, Chairman and Chief Executive of Directly Operated Railways, and Chairman of East Coast, said:
“I’m very pleased that East Coast has been asked to commission the new Pendolino on the East Coast Main Line. Whilst a final decision has not yet been made, if it goes ahead, the train would add extra capacity to our fleet – and we’re sure our customers would appreciate the comfort and facilities that the new Pendolino has to offer.
“We’re currently talking with the manufacturers Alstom, and other key industry partners to understand the challenges and opportunities involved in the commissioning and certification of the Pendolino on East Coast.”
Under the plan, East Coast Main Line Company Limited (East Coast), the publicly-owned company which operates Anglo-Scottish services on Britain’s premier long-distance rail route, would take delivery of the new train in July next year. East Coast would operate the Pendolino in daily passenger service, principally between London and Edinburgh, for a period currently estimated to be nine months.
The new 11-car Pendolino Class 390 – which is being built by Alstom at its facility in Savigliano, Italy – forms part of an order for four such train-sets. Alstom started work on the new order in early 2009. The units will be very similar to the 52 Pendolino Class 390s, each of 9 cars, currently in service on the West Coast Main Line.
These train-sets were built by Alstom between 2001 and 2004 and are capable of speeds of up to 140 miles per hour*.
The 11-cars of the new Pendolino will be only slightly longer than trains in the existing East Coast fleet, enabling all current station stops to be utilised by the train without the use of Selective Door Operation.
Whilst the new 11-car Pendolino is being commissioned with East Coast, it would be fully integrated into the East Coast fleet and timetable – and would be maintained by the Alstom train care centre at Polmadie, in Glasgow.
Wrexham and Shropshire Railway, which scored a record breaking 99% for passenger satisfaction in a Passenger Focus survey, says that its future is dependent on continuing to attract car users to use its services. The open access operator will, from September, raise a small proportion of its fares to counter the rise in fuel prices. The September changes will see the introduction of 2 types of tickets, the semi flexible and the fully flexible, with the semi flexible being available for use on any train except the 05.52 Shrewsbury to Marylebone and 16.30 Marylebone to Shrewsbury.
The fare increase will have no impact on 44 of the 54 services run by WSR and passengers using these trains will enter 2011 without WSR having raised fares in the 3 years since they launched.
WSR say that one of the ways to ensure that they continue operating is for their loyal passenger base to keep using them and in return they will continue to provide an excellent service.
A Wrexham and Shropshire service passes Tyseley station. Picture: www.upmain.com
Rail passengers using East Midlands Trains services to London are starting to benefit from access to the internet whilst they travel, with the roll out of the train operator’s brand new on board WiFi service.
The new WiFi service, which is currently being installed on all train services to/from London, will offer passengers easy access to the internet, email and other online applications, whether for work or leisure purposes. First Class passengers will benefit from complimentary access to the service, whilst other passengers will need to pay a small charge using a debit or credit card through the online secure payment page.
Jayne Moyses, Sales Manager for East Midlands Trains, said: “We’re constantly looking at how we can further improve our service and we know the launch of on board internet access will make a real difference for our passengers.
“We’ll be installing the latest technology, utilising multiple mobile connections, providing our passengers with the best possible service and speed.
“We already provide complimentary access to the internet at Chesterfield and Sheffield stations and through our First Class Lounges at Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and London St Pancras. The roll out to our train services will help passengers to work even more efficiently whilst on the move.”
George Cowcher, Chief Executive of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is great news for businesses in East Midlands and beyond. Not only will it enable business owners and employees to work and prepare for meetings while they travel, but it will also make it easier for them to stay in contact with their office while they are on the move.
“The big advantage for businesses of travelling by rail is that time spent on the train can be put to better use than it would be whilst driving. Having access to WiFi means that time can be used even more productively.”
The service is currently being piloted on three trains, with the roll out to all trains taking place throughout the rest of the year. From 5 September, WiFi will be available every day on all fast trains on the London/Sheffield route (those timed to depart Sheffield to London at 27 minutes past the hour and departing St Pancras to Sheffield at 55 minutes past the hour) as well as on the ‘Robin Hood’ service from Nottingham to London (departing Nottingham at 07.50).
During the pilot, all passengers will be able to access the service free of charge. From 5 September 2010, Standard Class passengers will pay £4 per journey (up to 3 hours) or £7.50 a day to access the WiFi service. The corporate WiFi facility, iPASS, will be introduced from the Autumn.
Details of how to use the new service can found in leaflets displayed on board the trains currently piloting WiFi or by asking a member of the on train team.
Ron McAulay, Network Rail director, Scotland and Stewart Stevenson MSP, Transport Minister, pay a visit to the site of the new Bathgate Station to view progress. The station will open on 18 October, with the new Airdrie-Bathgate line opening in full on 12 December
Network Rail director Scotland, Ron McAulay and Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson got an exclusive preview of the new Bathgate Station when they visited the work site recently to review progress on the construction of the Airdrie-Bathgate rail link project.
Bathgate station is the largest structure being built for passenger use on the line and, when completed in October, will offer the local travelling public one of the most accessible travel facilities in Scotland.
Ron McAulay, Network Rail’s director, Scotland said:
“Being able to see inside the new station building and to walk across the new footbridge provides a real sense of the project’s achievements to date. Viewing these structures at first hand is tangible proof that we are making excellent progress towards completing not only Bathgate Station, but the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link as a whole.
“The opening of the relocated Bathgate station in October will mark a major milestone for the project. Construction is continuing to progress well and, when complete, Bathgate will enjoy a station facility befitting the town and its people.”
Stewart Stevenson, Scottish Government Transport Minister said:
“Scotland has the toughest climate change legislation anywhere in the world and our ambitious climate change delivery plan means persuading motorists to get out of their cars and use more sustainable forms of transport.
“The new facilities at Bathgate Station, with expanded parking facilities and provision for cyclists among many of the improvements, will encourage motorists to do just that.”
The new Bathgate station, which will be operated by ScotRail, has been relocated 400 metres to the east of the existing station and will include two platforms, a footbridge, lifts and stairs. It will also include a ticket office, waiting shelters, ticket vending machine and help points for passengers on each platform. Both station and car park will be monitored by CCTV.
The station will boast 400 parking spaces (including 20 reserved for Blue Badge holders), a bank of cycle racks, pick-up/drop off zone, taxi waiting area and two bus stops. A newly created traffic light controlled junction will also be installed to enable easier access for vehicles and to manage the flow of traffic around the station.
Since work began on the station project in May 2009, Network Rail has worked in partnership with a range of partners such as West Lothian Council, SEPA, Transport Scotland and Scotrail to ensure that disruption has been kept to a minimum for local residents. The station has been built in close proximity to an operational railway and, despite significant engineering challenges, the existing line serving Bathgate has only required short periods of inactivity to allow the installation of the passenger footbridge.
Bathgate station is one of two which have been rebuilt in a new location, the other being Drumgelloch. Livingston North and Uphall have been upgraded and three new purpose built stations have been constructed in Armadale, Blackridge and Caldercruix.
Under the new timetable, four trains per hour will stop in each direction with an approximate journey time of 25 minutes to Edinburgh and 45 minutes to Glasgow.
The £300m *Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is funded by Transport Scotland.
East Coast’s Miniature Prices campaign is back with a special offer that’ll help save customers money on a host of exciting attractions
Train operator East Coast has re-launched its Miniature Prices campaign to coincide with a great 2 for 1 offer to visitor attractions in London.
For the next 11 weeks, hundreds of thousands of bargain tickets will be available through the Miniature Prices campaign with fares as low as £7.50 between major destinations on the East Coast route.
To coincide with the return of this popular and award-winning campaign, East Coast is now offering its customers even greater value for money with a 2 for 1 offer on entrance fees to over 150 attractions in London, such as Madam Tussauds, the Tower of London or the London Aquarium.
The 2 for 1 offer is available for those travelling to London with East Coast. Customers can take advantage of this money saving offer by downloading and completing a voucher available online at www.eastcoast.co.uk/2for1. The vouchers need to be presented at the attractions, along with East Coast train tickets.
East Coast Commercial Director Peter Williams said: “We are excited about the return of our Miniature Prices campaign, which is back for 11 weeks and offers customers the chance to see the many fantastic destinations on the East Coast route for great value for money.
“Tens of thousands of tickets will be released each week and customers will not only have the opportunity to benefit from the low cost fares but can also save even more money on entrance fees to a huge number of London attractions, with our special 2 for 1 offer, giving customers even more reasons to travel.
“We hope this will be a popular double incentive to travel with us, particularly during the summer holidays.”
For example, a family of four taking advantage of the offer, can save up to £47 on the entrance fee to Madame Tussauds.*
Destinations available under the Miniature Prices campaign include:
· York to Edinburgh from £10 single
· London to York from £10 single
· Leeds to London from £10 single
· Edinburgh to Newcastle from £7.50 single
The Miniature Prices campaign will appear in print, TV, radio and online advertisements, featuring miniature character models that are travelling for a variety of reasons to destinations such as London, York, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh, accompanied by the voice of Bernard Cribbins.
Tickets can be booked online by visiting www.eastcoast.co.uk, over the phone with East Coast’s telesales team on 08457 225 225, or by visiting any National Rail station travel centre.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the first railway to be built purely by enthusiasts and volunteers in the UK – The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway -, it is planned to hold a “LCLR 50” weekend on 4th – 5th September 2010 at the recently re-opened line’s new site at Skegness Water Leisure Park, Walls Lane, Ingoldmells, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE25 1JF
Over this Special Weekend, it is hoped to run a diesel hauled service train for passengers with Ashover Light Railway Coach No.2; a demonstration Military Ambulance train, with stock from the trench warfare railways of World War I, owned by the LCLR Historic Vehicles Trust and to re-create the passenger train from the Nocton Estates Light Railway, on which much of the LCLR rolling stock ran before opening at Humberstone, Nr. Grimsby on August 27th 1960. Many photo opportunities will be available on each day, including “Jurassic”, our steam loco currently awaiting restoration.
Full details, including confirmation of events and train times, are available on the LCLR website at www.lincolnshire-coast-light-railway.co.uk and at www.davesrailpics.co.uk (which also has photos of the LCLR going back to August 1960)
Pilots of light aircraft and their passengers who fly in to Skegness Aerodrome (adjacent to the railway) on either day will be given free tickets to ride the trains.
Remaining opening dates for 2010 are August 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th & 30th and LCLR 50 on September 4th – 5th. Trains normally operate from 11:00 – 15:45 as a minimum on all opening days.
A ten-month project to repair and restore the 145 year-old Eleanor Cross on the forecourt of Charing Cross station has been completed, safeguarding the historic landmark for future generations.
The condition of the Eleanor Cross, the original of which historically marked the centre of London, had been in deterioration over the years as weather and pollution took their toll on the stone monument. Owing to its vulnerable condition, it was placed on the English Heritage At Risk Register in 2008, so a plan of action could be identified.
Robert Thornton, Network Rail’s principal architect, said: “London is a railway city. Since it arrived in the capital in 1836, communities and businesses have relied on rail to go about their daily lives and support the economy, which remains the case today. The Eleanor Cross represents part of London’s railway history, is a well-established landmark in the West End and something that should be preserved for future generations of residents and visitors.”
Timothy Jones, English Heritage team leader for Westminster and West London, said: “Monuments such as the memorial cross at Charing Cross are a hugely important component of London’s heritage – an invaluable part of the city’s personality and interest – which allow visitors and Londoners alike a glimpse into the capital’s long, complex and fascinating history. Although not one of the original crosses created by Edward l for his beloved wife, Eleanor of Castile, this Victorian recreation is a fine example of architect EM Barry’s work, and we are delighted to see it so beautifully and carefully restored, and happily, it can now be removed from our Heritage at Risk Register.”
Chris Gladwell, associate director, PAYE, added: “It has been a pleasure to work on a structure of such high quality craftsmanship, and we are grateful that Network Rail gave us this opportunity. The skills needed to carry out intricate carved work to this standard are still available, but it is only through the continued training provided by institutions such as the City and Guilds of London Art School, where many of the masons trained, together with the support of clients committed to quality that this can be carried forward into the future.”
The restoration work started in October 2009, although scaffolding has been set up around the monument for almost five years for inspection and safety purposes. The first phase was to clean the entire monument using a combination of steam and a fine spray of water to remove dirt and debris without damaging the stone. Once the monument was clean, a detailed inspection was carried out to plan the restoration work.
Repairs to the eight-sided structure were carried out by specialist stone contractors PAYE Stonework & Restoration. They included recreating and attaching almost 100 missing ornamental features including heraldic shields, an angel, pinnacles, crockets and finials; securing weak or fractured masonry with stainless steel pins and rods and re-attaching decorative items which had previously been removed after becoming loose.
The restoration was a complex piece of work. Owing to the age, condition and intricacy of the monument, much of the work had to be carried out using hand tools. Furthermore, the Red Mansfield stone used on the original monument is no longer quarried, so alternative materials needed to be researched to fine the best match.
A Lanarkshire woman has secured funds to create a ‘sensory garden’ for visitors to a Guide Dogs Training School in Forfar.
Sensory gardens are designed to heighten awareness and senses, with features such as scented and edible plants.
They can have a beneficial effect on well being and also provide a stimulating journey, thanks to the textures and materials used to guide visitors with a visual impairment.
Myra Brown, 48,a ScotRail station staff member at Lanark Station, is behind the scheme to raise even more funds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
She applied to parent company First Group for a donation – and was awarded £780 towards the purchase of plants and features that will make the garden in Forfar extra special.
Myra, who lives in Lesmahagow, got involved with the charity after her husband David spotted an advert in their local paper looking for ‘puppy walkers’.
She said: “I’ve been a regular volunteer with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, along with my husband, for a number of years and I’m delighted with this donation from FirstGroup.”
Myra added: “We’ve been planning the sensory garden for ages and can’t wait to get started.”
The garden will also have a “Guide Dogs Wall of Support” – a new initiative to raise funds.
People will be able to sponsor individual bricks for the wall, with proceeds going to helping blind and partially sighted people live full and independent lives.
Once all of the bricks have been bought, the wall will be built free of charge by students from Carnegie College in Fife.
Julie Millar, a member of Guide Dog’s Scottish fundraising team, said: “We are so grateful to Myra for applying for the donation and to FirstGroup for recognising the merits of building the sensory garden at our Dog Training School.
“Without the support of fantastic volunteers like Myra and David, we simply couldn’t do what we do. We rely entirely on the generosity of the public to provide a service that makes a massive difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people.”
Avril Gill, FirstGroup‘s marketing manager, Group Brand, said: “We are often on the look out for opportunities to help worthy organisations like this one and are delighted to help create this sensory garden.”
RGU Students Jane-Isabel Conway (left) and Stephanie Dowling get in some jumping practice ahead of a sky dive to raise money for Maggies.
Three students from Robert Gordon University hope to raise around £3,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres by attempting a Sky-Dive.
The adventurous threesome, all of whom are members of the University’s Raising and Giving (RAG) Society, will jump from 10,000ft on September 25.
Aberdeen based transport operator, FirstGroup, has provided funding to help cover the costs of doing the jump.
President of the Society, Stephanie Dowling (20), is originally from Edinburgh and is looking forward to the event. Stephanie, who is studying Three Dimensional Design, said: “We are very grateful to FirstGroup for helping us meet our costs. We are very excited, not to mention apprehensive about the sky-dive. None of us have done one before – I am hoping it will cure my fear of heights!”
She added: “My best friend from Edinburgh was recently diagnosed with cancer and she suggested that we do the jump for Maggie’s. There isn’t a one size fits all recipe for how you live with cancer, but Maggie’s is there to support you and your loved ones through all the problems associated with cancer.”
Stephanie will be joined on September 25 by two other members of the RGU RAG Society: Vice President Jane-Isabel Conway (21) and Secretary Joe Folan (21). Jane Isabel is from Newcastle and studies pharmacy at RGU, while Joe is originally from Galway and studies journalism.
Avril Gill, FirstGroup’s Marketing Manager and member of First’s Charity and Sponsorship Committee, said: “I am pleased we have been able to help. The three students deserve a great deal of credit not just for summing up the courage to jump out of an airplane, but also for raising money for such a deserving charity.”
Members of the public can support the trio’s sky-dive by visiting www.justgiving.com/rguragskydive.
RGU RAG holds many events throughout the year, the sky-dive being the first for the coming academic year. The Society is appealing for other companies to get behind their fundraising attempts for the coming year. Opito The Oil and Gas Academy has already pledged its support. Anyone interested can contact [email protected].
The students were awarded funding by FirstGroup’s Sponsorship and Charity Committee. The Committee comprises 12 members of staff based throughout Britain and considers requests for funding and gifts from groups and organisations across the country.. For further information on the Committee please visit www.firstgroup.com.
THE Bodmin & Wenford Railway – Cornwall’s only full size (standard gauge) railway still regularly operated by steam locomotives – is eagerly looking forward to its annual Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival.
The Gala will be held in its traditional slot over the first weekend of September, but this year the event has been extended to four days and will run from Thursday-Sunday 2-5 September 2010.
The September Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival will have a distinct Southern Railway theme, and the principal feature – perhaps a first in railway preservation – will be an impressive quartet of locomotives from the Victorian era built by the London & South Western Railway, the youngest of which was built in 1905!
The undoubted highlight for many will be the return to steam of the only surviving LSWR T9 Class 4-4-0 locomotive No 30120. Owned by the National Railway Museum, and entrusted to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, the September Gala will be the locomotive’s first public appearance in steam in Cornwall for almost 50 years. Once a regular sight in North Cornwall, on trains between Okehampton to Bude, Wadebridge and Padstow, the last few survivors of this iconic class of locomotive were withdrawn in the early 1960s.
No (30)120 is now the only survivor of the T9 class of express passenger locomotives built by the London & South Western Railway to the design of Dugald Drummond, an eminent late Victorian locomotive engineer, and upon entry into service were soon nicknamed “Greyhounds” on account of their fine turn of speed and smoothness of running.
The T9 is currently receiving the receiving the finishing touches following an extensive overhaul at The Flour Mill workshop in the Forest of Dean, and is expected to be delivered back to Bodmin shortly. The engine and tender then will be re-united, whereupon No 30120 will start a period of running-in and crew training/familiarisation, prior to the work on lining the paintwork – in British Railways lined black livery – will be completed. The iconic locomotive will be formally launched back into public service at a special ceremony at 12.30pm on Thursday 2 September, the first day of the Railway’s Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival.
At the Gala, No 30120 will also be joined by the only surviving pair of LSWR Beattie well tanks, Nos 30585 and 30587. These two veterans of the Victorian age were originally built in 1874 and survived until September 1962. For over sixty years they were based at nearby Wadebridge shed hauling china clay trains on the freight only line to Wenfordbridge, for which they were ideally suited. Like the T9, No 30587 is also owned by the National Railway Museum and based on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, where it has been a regular and popular sight since its return to steam in 2002. No 30585 is based at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre and has made a number of previous visits to the BWR for special events.
Completing the line-up of LSWR locomotives will be M7 0-4-4T No 53 (BR No 30053) from the Swanage Railway. Designed by Dugald Drummond, the M7 Class was originally designed to work suburban trains on LSWR metals in the London area, 105 locomotives being built between 1897 and 1911. Many of the class were fitted with the necessary gear to operate trains in “push-and-pull” fashion. In later years, with the increased availability of newer, standard locomotive designs, many members of the class became a regular sight on branch lines in Southern England, including the Plymouth area.
After spending its later years based at Bournemouth shed, it was withdrawn by British Railways in May 1964 and spent its early years in preservation on static display at a private museum in the USA, before being repatriated for use on the Swanage Railway, where it returned to steam in 1992 and has been a regular performer there ever since.
There will be an intensive timetable of trains over the 6½-mile line between Bodmin Parkway and Boscarne Junction via Bodmin General. A special timetable will operate on the Thursday, based around the Re-launch Ceremony for No 30120, whilst on the following three days there will be passenger train departures from Bodmin General at 10.00, 10.50, 11.40, 12.30, 13.20, 14.10, 15.00, 15.50 and 16.40, with an additional departure at 09.00 on the Saturday.
On the Friday and Saturday, there will also be a demonstration goods train, departing at 08.45 from Bodmin General, which will convey a small number of passengers in the brakevan. Accommodation is limited and advance booking is highly recommended for these trains.
All the main passenger trains will have an on-train Buffet & Bar Car serving hot and cold drinks, snacks and light refreshments. There is also a Refreshment Room at Bodmin General Station and a Café in the old signalbox at Bodmin Parkway Station, both serving a range of home made food, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. The Railway’s Giftshop at Bodmin General will also be open throughout the weekend, offering a good range of souvenirs, gifts, books, models, postcards etc.
There will also be the opportunity for visitors to extend their day – or savour the action over the whole weekend – by enjoying some or all of the special evening events that are being run as part of the Gala.
On the Thursday there will be a special “Night Shoot” for photographers from 8pm to 10pm, with various ‘cameos’ arranged at Bodmin General station and outside the locomotive shed featuring all four LSWR engines, including the T9. On the Friday there will be an evening Brake Van Special, offering the opportunity to enjoy the special atmosphere of riding in a Goods Brake Van for a whole line trip. The cost is £12.50, which includes a Cornish Pasty supper (50% reduction for Rover Ticket holders).
On the Saturday, there will be another of the Railway’s extremely popular evening Steam, Beer & Jazz specials. Passengers are able to enjoy the sound of jazz music, perhaps whilst supping a pint of real ale, with the sight and smell of a steam loco. The jazz band plays on the platform from 6pm, with the train departing at 7pm as the band plays on board the train during the course of the evening. An all-inclusive ticket—which includes the train ride and a Fish & Chip Supper – costs £21.50, £10 or £55 (for Adult, Child and Family respectively). This really is a great evening out!
Advance booking is required for all the evening events – telephone 0845 125 9678 or see the booking form on line at www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk.
In addition to the host of activities on the railway itself, there will also be a Real Ale Festival at Bodmin General Station throughout the weekend, run by local members of the Cornish Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Over ten different real ales, plus cider, will be on sale to enjoy, with the bar open from 11.00-11.00 on Friday & Saturday, and 11.00-16.00 on the Sunday.
Bodmin General Station is well signposted from the A30/A38/A389 (follow the brown tourist signs) and there is a free car park directly adjacent to the station. For those who may like to come by train, main line train services operate to Bodmin Parkway, where there is easy cross-platform interchange with Bodmin & Wenford Railway services.
By far the best way to enjoy the Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival is to purchase a Rover Ticket, which gives complete freedom to travel on the line for the validity of the ticket. An Adult Day Rover, for example, costs just £15, whilst an Adult Rover valid for all four days of the event is available for a bargain £38, which works out at a little more than £9 per day.
Our September Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival is already shaping up to be a potentially memorable event,” comments Richard Jones, General Manager of the BWR, “and is already generating a tremendous amount of interest amongst both local people and railway enthusiasts. The return to steam of the popular LSWR T9 No 30120 after so many years, coupled with a fantastic line-up of four ex-LSWR steam locomotives built between 1874 and 1905 – the first time this has occurred on any heritage railway – will undoubtedly be a very impressive sight that should draw visitors to Bodmin from far and wide. We are really looking forward to seeing these four iconic steam veterans of the Victorian and Edwardian age working again in Cornwall, and are very grateful to colleagues at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Swanage Railway and the National Railway Museum for their support.”
Directly Operated Railways Limited, the company established by the Government in 2009 to manage Train Operating Companies that come back to the public sector, today announced that it is in discussion with industry parties concerning the possibility of commissioning a new 11-car Pendolino train on the East Coast Main Line.
East Coast’s Miniature Prices campaign is back with a special offer that’ll help save customers money on a host of exciting attractions
The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
THE Bodmin & Wenford Railway – Cornwall’s only full size (standard gauge) railway still regularly operated by steam locomotives – is eagerly looking forward to its annual Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival.
