Full steam ahead for £9m heritage railway
Bosses of a heritage railway in Shropshire today unveiled £9 million plans to transform the once thriving line into a major tourist attraction.
Trustees of the Cambrian Heritage Railways (CHR) have drawn up ambitious proposals to create a heritage rail service which will connect Oswestry to the main train line in Gobowen and to Llanymynech in the opposite direction.
The group is now calling on town businesses, the town council and Shropshire Council to back the project, called Gobowen to Blodwell Railway Project.
It hopes the project will boost the economy and create a major tourist attraction for the area.
It is planned to start building work in April 2015 over a number of phases starting on a link between Oswestry and Gobowen.
Trustees believe the project could help commuters, shoppers and those attending social events, as well as attract tourists to the area.
It is hoped the £9m cost will come via bodies including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Shropshire Council's Market Town Revitalisation Programme and Local Joint Committees.
Roger Date, vice chairman of Oswestry Station Building Trust and trustee of CHR, and Andrew Tullo, also a trustee of CHR, said the project had the backing of local MP Owen Paterson.
Mr Tullo said: "Oswestry is Shropshire's largest market town and one of the largest towns not connected to a mainline station.
"We want the town council and Shropshire Council and businesses to get behind us with this plan."
Two small stretches of the line have already been restored thanks to the dedication of volunteers.
A Llynclys train runs along a stretch of track to Pen-y-garreg and Oswestry passengers can be carried a few hundred metres.
