This year’s operating season for the award-winning Cambrian Heritage Railways has been launched with an official seal of approval when the Mayor of Oswestry, Councillor Jay Moore, recently visited the railway to see for himself the work that volunteers have been carrying out.

The railway opened its door for the 2023 season over the Easter holiday weekend with a number of specially planned activities. The railway’s management was delighted with the large number of visitors attending during the weekend, which required extra carriages to be added to some trains.

Recently, Oswestry Tourism honoured volunteers from the railway, and they were also rewarded for their efforts when they won national and regional recognition as winners of the British Museum – Marsh award for its volunteering efforts.

At last month’s Heritage Railway Association awards, Cambrian Heritage Railways came away with a runners-up award for infrastructure.

This year, Cambrian Heritage Railways will operate steam and diesel heritage trains every weekend, on specific mid-week days and evenings, and on Bank Holidays until September.

There will also be a number of special events, starting with the railway’s seventh annual Beer Festival From Friday, 2nd to Sunday, 4th, June when Beer Festival specials will run from Oswestry station to Weston Wharf where a number of breweries will be served within the recently restored Weston Wharf goods shed.

Further information about the railway and other special events can be found at: www.cambrianrailways.com.

Cambrian Heritage Railways Chairman, Rob Williams, was on hand to show the Mayor the latest developments: “We welcomed the Mayor of Oswestry to our railway and I was pleased to show him the huge strides we have taken in recent years.

“More recently our volunteers have been hard at work relaying three lines of track into Oswestry station for the first time since the 1960s. We have also uncovered an historical cattle dock and work continues apace on restoring Oswestry signal box.”