Welsh government urged to support the Llangollen Railway

Following the news that Llangollen Railway Plc is to go into receivership, North Wales member of the Senedd, Mark Isherwood called for a Welsh Government Statement on support for the railway.

Mr Isherwood, who has long championed the work of Llangollen Railway and worked with it over many years, raised the situation in a Welsh Parliament meeting this week.

He said “The Directors of the Plc of this wonderful Welsh standard-gauge Heritage Railway announced last week that they have taken the reluctant step of inviting their bank to appoint a receiver.

“The Trust Board stated it ‘will need to take steps to negotiate with the receiver to try to secure the line and preserve rolling stock and infrastructure to the greatest extent possible. It is intended to recommence operations in due course, but this is dependent upon legal and regulatory approvals, including licensing, all of which will clearly take time’.

“The impact this will have on their staff, volunteers, customers, suppliers, locomotive owners and their organisations, and anyone else with connections to the Railway, is potentially serious, as is the wider impact on the visitor economy in Llangollen and throughout the Dee Valley.

“I have therefore been asked to raise this in the Welsh Parliament and alert the First Minister, and request a Welsh Government Statement accordingly.”

Mr Isherwood was recommended to write to the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, which he will now be doing.

Engineering work on the railway is continuing. The railway trust owns the track and much of the rolling stock of the railway whilst the Plc was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the popular tourist attraction.