REMEDIAL work has been completed in time to allow the West Somerset Railway (WSR) to open its 2023 season later this month after a landslip shortly before Christmas cut the line in two.
Water run-off from a field near Combe Florey caused an embankment to collapse close to Tribble Bridge and left the heritage rail line potentially unstable.
The railway immediately had to re-route its Santa Specials and Winterlights services to run from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren instead of Crowcombe Heathfield.
Now, the WSR is set for trains to run again from March 18, with the 2023 season finishing at the end of October.
“We are looking forward to opening. The 2023 season is planned, which is exciting.
“We have a huge number of events going on. We are planning for a busy railway.
“So, it is very positive in my opinion that we are pushing forward.”
He said ‘a great amount of work’ had been carried out since Christmas and the support shown to the WSR had been ‘exceptional’.
Mr Jones-Pratt said: “There have been remedial works done to the site so that the neighbouring land owners have had their areas cleaned.
“We have done all the remedial works in terms of making sure the site is safe.
“That enables us to operate with mitigation, which will be under some temporary speed restrictions and also monitoring that will make sure across the 2023 period we are able to make sure there are not any further slippages.”
Mr Jones-Pratt said it had been an exceptionally wet winter which caused concern for the railway’s board and management that there could be further problems at the site.
Another work site would be mobilised near the end of the operating season to carry out further shuttering works and installation of gabions and scope out a project brief which had been designed by consultants.
He said: “What it does demonstrate is how vulnerable heritage railways are because this is a fairly small section of line that we have got this issue on, and the amount of effort that has gone in and the science behind it to make sure that we get the answer, which is basically the safety critical answer, has taken some time to get there.
“We now have an asset review that is being taken forward which will look across the whole railway infrastructure trying to identify the hotspots and the trouble areas to make sure we are proactive in managing our resource and our investment.”
Mr Jones-Pratt praised the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) and West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust (WSRHT) for backing a fund-raising appeal to help with the cost of the Combe Florey works.
He said: “They are leading on the fund-raising campaign. The reason why we are doing that is it is going to help us do a much better job on the scene.
“We have got the loss adjusters involved and we are also talking to Somerset County Council and the adjacent landowner that has caused this issue for us.
“That will take time, there are claims, insurance, all kinds of things going on that is complicated.
“My priority is to make sure the railway operates. If we sit still and have an argument today that will not be proactive and that will not give you back the railway you want to see operating this year.”
Mr Jones-Pratt said there was also other work the railway wanted to so in addition to repairing the landslip, including ballast replacement.
The WSRA would match fund any help and support generated by the appeal.
Mr Jones-Pratt also praised the ‘incredibly hard work' of the railways volunteers and the paid staff over the winter, without whose help the railway could not do what it did.
“That is what 2023 is all about, really pushing forward,” he said. “I believe the railway is going places. The proof is in terms of what you see.”