The Talyllyn Railway announces a major milestone
14th October 2022
The Talyllyn Railway is delighted to announce it has been successful in its application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for initial funding of £110,000 towards its long talked about re-development at Tywyn Pendre and Tywyn Wharf stations. This funding will allow the Railway to produce a full application for over £1 million of funding from the NLHF towards the estimated £3.5 million project.
Under the title of ‘Preserving our Past, Building Our Future’ the redevelopment will feature the construction of a new engineering works at Tywyn Pendre station, along with new carriage maintenance and storage facilities. The existing works will be restored and will continue to be used, but will also include an accessible heritage display based about the history of engineering on the Railway and those who worked on it.
At Tywyn Wharf there will be a new heritage facility and interpretation centre. In addition the station building will be remodelled to provide a main entrance at street level along with an enlarged café and shop within the existing structure.
A major part of the bid is also about increased engagement with different groups particularly those with autism. The aim will be for the Railway to provide a safe venue for autistic people with their families to come and experience a journey by steam train which can be an enjoyable experience for all involved.
Increasing the number and range of volunteers is another key part of the bid, which will include providing additional volunteer accommodation. This will be achieved by the conversion of the property ‘Trefri’, which is adjacent to Tywyn Wharf station and was purchased by the Railway a few years ago.
General Manager Stuart Williams says:
‘We are delighted to have been successful in obtaining this money to develop a full bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for our much-needed redevelopment. It brings our plans one step closer to reality and we would like to thank the Fund for their assistance in getting us to this stage, as well as everyone else who was involved in this application. Now the hard work really begins to develop the full bid and provide the Railway with the people and facilities it needs for the future’.
The Railway will be launching a major appeal to help raise the balance of the monies required for the project. It is hoped that the bulk of the work will be underway in time for the Railway’s 75th Anniversary as the World’s First Preserved Railway in 2026.
