Established as a heritage railway in 1960, Bluebell Railway celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and is set to mark the occasion by re-opening on Friday 7th August.
Unfortunately, the unprecedented pandemic could not have come at a worse time for the Bluebell Railway as this was set to be a very busy summer season.
The Sussex attraction put out an emergency appeal after, like most other businesses in the leisure sector, it was forced to close due to the pandemic. This meant that the Bluebell Railway was going to need to raise at least £300,000 to be contributed from members, shareholders and others to help support the recovery of the much-loved heritage railway. I am pleased to say they have not only met that target but also exceeded it by £50,000.
The planned date of 7th August will allow some of the railway’s staff and volunteers to return to work in mid-July to carry out the necessary safety procedures to ensure the steam trains would be up and running again in time for their big day.
From this date they will be opening for weekends only to begin with allowing them to gauge the demand and take small steps whilst following government guidance.
We wish everyone at the Bluebell Railway all the best with their re-opening.
Please support the Bluebell Railway with their return on the 7th August so we can keep this amazing attraction running for a further 60 years!
Find out more at Bluebell Railway’s website here
