SUPPORTERS of the West Somerset Railway (WSR) have covered nearly £200,000 of winter renovation and maintenance work on the heritage line.
The WSR starts running its first steam trains of the 2025 season on Saturday (March 22), made possible by the contributions of The Friends of Minehead Station (FoMS) and the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA).
Railway general manager Kerry Noble said: “The West Somerset Railway, as with other heritage lines, relies on the fund-raising and volunteer work of its many supporters.
“In addition to our thanks to FoMS and the WSRA, there has been a huge amount of work done and money raised and spent by groups all along the line during the closed season.
“When passengers begin to travel again on March 22 they will have good views of the countryside in spring thanks to the cutting back gangs’ hours of labour, and the stations will look and be welcoming.
“Carriages have been cleaned and locomotives maintained.
“It is due to this work and fund-raising that we are ready for Railway 200 and our 49th year of operation.”
The WSRA again provided the largest overall amount of support for the steam train company, for which it has been fund-raising and carrying out important work for the past 50 years.
Its largest recent contribution was £119,000 toward the cost of track relaying at Tribble Bridge, which carries the line over the A358 in Combe Florey, and is crossed by trains on their way between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield.
The project cost a total of £180,000 and Ms Noble said the association’s contribution was vital to completing the work.
She said the Tribble Bridge work was one of a number of track relaying and fettling jobs along the 20 miles of the West Somerset line between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard to complete the ballasting of the track.
The WSR had to hire a Volker Rail Lightweight Tamping machine and its operators at a cost of £35,000 to carry out the work, a cost which was met by the association.
Ms Noble said the WSRA also paid for platform maintenance at Williton and Blue Anchor stations, adding a further £5,605 to its overall contribution.
She said: “Thanks to the growth in holiday traffic during the history of the Norton Fitzwarren-Minehead line, platforms at West Somerset Railway stations are some of the longest in the heritage sector.”
Meanwhile, FoMS continued its support of the railway’s northern terminus by providing £40,000 for roof repairs on the main station building, which is 150 years old this year.
Ms Noble said FoMS had been supporting work at the station and in its environs for nearly three decades.
Much of its income came from its ‘Readers Halt’ second-hand book stall on the Minehead station platform.
FoMS had introduced a popular new line in wooden train garden planters, and its members also carried out maintenance work and gardening on site.
The old Great Western Railway Minehead branch line is the longest heritage railway in the country.