Full steam ahead for Corris railway as visitors return for bank holiday

Trips were booked up almost to capacity at the Corris Railway on Monday, May 31, as visitors and regulars soaked up the bank holiday sunshine on some of the railway's newly refurbished rolling stock.

"Services were virtually full with the new online ticketing service working well," said John Simms, spokesperson for the railway.

"With Covid precautions in place, and the need to deep clean trains between workings, the Mid Wales line ran three round trips from Corris station to the current railhead on the Southern Extension. This meant that trains returning to Corris had to restart on the 1 in 30 gradient and passengers were able to enjoy the sound of steam locomotive number 7 tackling the gradient and the load."

"As the season progresses we will carefully consider the possibility of increasing both the number of trains that we run and the days on which we operate. Our aim is to provide the best possible safe service for our passengers and staff."

All journeys must now be pre-booked via a new ticketing system which is now in place for the service, in-line with Covid precautions, which has been developed entirely by volunteers.

"The booking system was developed in-house by the Corris Railway webmaster Alf Oxford and his son Mike and no third party platform has been utilised in its setting up or will be involved in its future maintenance," they added.

"This is invaluable for a small railway and society who are fortunate to have volunteers with the requisite skills in the membership, able and willing to spend many unpaid hours over the work as do engineers and others connected with the CR. "

Elsewhere on the railway work has continued to construct a brand new steam locomotive, designed as a replica of one of the original locomotives in use on the railway in 1878, and Corris railway say this is now nearing completion.

Donations for the new engine are welcome and can be made online at www.corris.co.uk.