Cambrian Heritage Railway volunteers have been recognised for their incredible work in bringing back the North Shropshire line after being disused and derelict for 50 years

The British Museum has awarded the Cambrian Heritage Railways volunteer team with the prestigious national award for volunteer excellence. The hard-working team scooped the 2021 Marsh Award for Volunteers in Museum Learning nationally alongside winning the overall West Midlands region.

The Marsh Awards recognise the outstanding contribution of people dedicated to social, cultural and environmental causes and are run in partnership with the British Museum in order to celebrate the best efforts and innovative approaches made by volunteers in order to engage members of the public.

The Cambrian Heritage Railways volunteers have worked together for ten years in order to bring their local railway back to life.

The team’s impressive and tireless work has seen the clearance of vegetation alongside the rebuild of the deteriorating infrastructure which culminated in the opening of the heritage railway from Oswestry to Weston Wharf this April with much support from the public. The installation of two miles of brand new track at a station at West Wharf has led to the heritage railway becoming the very latest tourist hot spot for Shropshire.

Speaking about the award, Cambrian Heritage Railways Chairman, Rob Williams said: “We are all delighted the enormous hard work of our volunteers to re-open the railway has been recognised at a regional and national level.

“Cambrian Heritage Railways has had a fantastic first season of operation since we opened in April. I think it can only be good for the local economy and tourism to have an award-winning heritage railway that people want to come and visit.”

The railway has recently revealed that it will be running Santa Specials on set dates through November and December – to find out more about these or to book ahead, please visit www.Cambrianrailways.com.