Bala Lake Railway in North Wales has announced it has had a record year for the amount of passengers it has seen visit its steam railway.

Along with the record year, the Bala Lake Railway has purchased land from the local rugby club to help with their extension plans which will take the railway into Bala town itself.

Julian Birley, chairman of the Bala Lake Railway, said: “We’ve come to an agreement with Bala Rugby Club to buy some land from them. We now have planning permission to demolish what is currently where we’ll be building the station. We’ll be taking that down and landscaping it all before Christmas.

He added “We’re in the throes of discussing with the rugby club about how it’s going to run down the edge of the pitch. We’ve been having on-going discussions with Natural Resources Wales about how we proceed.

The project which will extend into the town is estimated to cost £1.5 million and will see 60,000 visitors flock to the railway each.

Talking about the extension, Julian said “To get from the town to the shore, we’re now 80 yards short. We’ve had support from all around the UK and word is getting round I hope. We’ve had another record year. Passenger numbers are up again and we’re now quietening down for the winter for maintenance. We’ve also had a Heritage Lottery grant for an exhibition space in Llanuwchllyn for some of our rolling stock which will provide another attraction for visitors.”

• Visit the Bala Lake Railway Website
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