The Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway has been awarded grants totalling £60,000 towards further development of the railway and enhancing the facilities at its site at Cynheidre near Llanelli in West Wales.

Two separate grants have been awarded to the railway, which is a 100% volunteer-run charity:

• £40,000 from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
• £20,000 from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Targeted Finance fund.

The £40,000 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant will go towards converting the body shell of a former Transport for Wales single-car Class 153 unit already at Cynheidre into a Community Hub with refreshment facilities.

Using the 153 will give the Community Hub a unique railway feel. This part of the project will also include the installation of a much-needed mains electricity supply at the site.

The £20,000 grant from the Carmarthenshire County Council’s Targeted Finance Fund will also go towards bringing an electricity supply to the site, and developing the cafe so that it is suitable for use by both visitors to the railway and the local community; it will also provide two job opportunities at the railway for local people.

Work has already started on the project, with trenches having been dug and ducting for the electricity supply laid.

It is hoped that National Grid will be able to connect the mains supply by early summer this year, although further work will be needed to distribute the electricity supply around the site.

Plans for the café have been submitted to the local council for approval, and having gone through the pre-planning stages, the railway is now awaiting final consent.

Once that is received, construction of the café facilities can begin, with completion and opening anticipated by the end of this year or early next year.

We are very pleased to have received these grants which will enable us to further develop the site at Cynheidre as a first-class visitor attraction and community space, whilst also providing two much needed job opportunities. We would like to thank the funding bodies for their support.

Mark Thomas, Chairman of the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway