The finalists for this year’s Heritage Rail Association’s Awards have been announced, and the winners will be named at the association’s Award Dinner to be held in Birmingham on Saturday, March 11.

This year’s awards are being sponsored by steam locomotive lubricant producers Hallett Oils. There are 11 award categories, including a number of new ones, and the entries this year have been stronger than ever.

The winners were chosen by a panel of 14 judges that included top names from the heritage sector including Anthony Coulls, Paul Lewin, and Chris Price, and editors from a number of leading railway publications.

A new award for 2023 is the Railway of the Year Award, sponsored by Hallett Oils. Shortlisted in this category are Seaton Tramway, Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company.

The Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering, sponsored by Morris Lubricants, is for anyone restoring a steam locomotive, and the finalists are Dean Forest Locomotive Group for its restoration of a Great Western Railway 5700 Class pannier tank No. 9681, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway for its Premier back to the future project, Bluebell Railway for London Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class No. 72 Fenchurch and Severn Valley Railway for Great Western Railway Hall Class Hagley Hall.

Shortlisted for the Heritage Rail Association Award for Diesel and Electric Locomotion are the EPB Preservation Group for its 5759-Hampshire Holiday project, Crowle Peatland Railway for restoration of Simplex locomotive 40s302, now known as Little Peat, the Great Central Railway-based Heavy Tractor Group for Class 37s Nos. 37714 and D6700, and Georail Services Limited for its project to restore Andrew Barclay No. 400DM Duke of Edinburgh.

Finalists for the Morgan Award for Rolling Stock Preservation are Chasewater Railway for their pre-grouping private-owner coal wagons, Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway for their ‘Queen Mary’ carriage project, and Bluebell Railway for restoration of Southern Railway Bullied five-plank merchandise open wagon No. 12058.

The HRA Infrastructure Award, sponsored by VolkerLaser, is another new award to honour the best heritage rail civil engineering, signalling and buildings work. Shortlisted for this award are Aln Valley Railway Trust for the Cawledge viaduct refurbishment project, Cambrian Heritage Railways Weston Wharf extension, and Hampton and Kempton Waterworks Railway and their new coach shed and maintenance facility.

Also new for 2023 is the HRA Team of the Year Award for outstanding contributions from groups of staff or volunteers at heritage railways and tramways. Finalists for this award are Peak Rail’s Peak Rail Volunteers, Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Curatorial Committee, East Lancashire Railway’s Santa Special Team with over 100 volunteers, Great Central Railway‘s Heavy Tractor Group, and the Terrier Trust CIO’s Tracks through Poplar project team

The Lord Faulkner Award for Young Volunteers finalists are Keighley and Worth Valley Railway volunteer Oliver Harrison, Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s Isaac Farnbank, Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway’s Alex Caulfield, East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society volunteer Liam Barnes, and Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s Ben Field.

Shortlisted for the HRA Rising Star Award, sponsored by Rail Signalling & Power, for those aged over-26 but new to the sector features West Somerset Railway’s Kerry Noble, Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Gill Lewis, and the Middleton Railway Trust Youth Team.

Vying for the HRA Award for Environmental Innovation are Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway for its ‘Embankments and Cuttings project – bringing biodiversity back to our railway’, North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s ‘Primrose Path’ project, and Railworld Wildlife Haven for their ‘ReUse, RePurpose and Share’ initiative.

Finalists in the HRA Award for Business Innovation sponsored jointly by PNP Events Ltd and Trackside Magazine are Bodmin and Wenford Railway for their Cornish Rail Coffee Company, and Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust for ‘Dales Dining’.

The HRA Award for Marketing and Communications will be contested by Talyllyn Railway for its project to build a digital audience, Isle of Wight Steam Railway for ‘Island Rail News’, and Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway for its ‘Journey Through Steam’ initiative.

Tickets for the Heritage Rail Association’s Annual Dinner and Awards 2023 are available online at www.hra.uk.com

Heritage Railway Association Chief Executive, Steve Oates, said: “Despite all of the challenges thrown at the sector, some of the work demonstrated by entrants to the awards this year is literally staggering. The amount of effort put in by staff and volunteers at railways and tramways up and down the country over the past 12 months never ceases to impress – and these awards are all about celebrating their successes.

“I’m really pleased that the shortlist this year has thrown a spotlight on some of the projects, and people, who don’t often get recognition too. Whether it’s painstaking wagon restoration or countless hours of toil by people normally behind the scenes – this year the entries have really dug deep into what makes heritage rail special on so many levels.

“It’s going to be a really exciting evening; heritage rail’s big night out! I can’t wait to see the winners up on stage, smiling to the cameras and knowing that their hard work has paid off.”