CHEERS and loud applause from a large crowd waiting on the platform at Minehead Station greeted the first passenger-carrying steam train to return to the town in more than two years on Saturday (March 19).

Bosses at the West Somerset Railway were delighted with the show of support by residents and enthusiasts which was matched by the sunshine and blue skies.

General manager Kerry Noble said: “There was a fantastic buzz of excitement and enthusiasm, not just at Minehead but at all our stations along the line.

“It really was an extremely successful weekend, and it was so nice to see the trains being very busy with many hundreds of passengers.

“It was an extremely good start to our season.”

There were three trains in each direction on Saturday and Sunday between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, and the same service will run this weekend (March 26-27).

The railway’s popular Quantock Belle first-class dining carriages will provide a Mothers’ Day lunch on Sunday.

The next big event for the WSR will be the official ‘Return to Minehead’ on April 2 and 3 when VIP guests will be invited to help celebrate the re-opening of the resort’s Seaward Way level crossing.

The crossing has been brought back into use after many months of modernisation work to install new barriers and lights, which recently then needed emergency repairs after damage caused by Storm Eunice.

Watchet Town Band will play during the opening ceremony and  groups from the WSR as well as a number of local charities and organisations will stage displays and stalls on the station.

Other attractions throughout that weekend will include children’s entertainment, live music, vintage bus rides around Minehead, and guided tours of the engine shed.