Steam railway celebrates station reopening

A steam railway is celebrating the reopening of one of its stations after a six-year repair project.

The platform at Lawley, Telford, began to shift in 2019, with Telford Steam Railway carrying out work to rebuild it and install steel foundations.

All the work was done by volunteers, with materials being brought to the site by train as it was too far from the road.

Rail enthusiast Pete Waterman has been invited as a special guest for the event on Sunday, which will also celebrate 100 years of its flagship locomotive.

The Lawley Village station was not an original station and was created by the railway in 2015, so the day will also mark the 10th anniversary of its opening.

Richard Owen, a spokesperson for the railway, said it is unclear why the platform moved but that it was built on clay soil which could have shifted because of rainfall.

He said the operation to repair and secure it had been a big one, made more difficult because it is next to a large housing development at Lawley.

But it was not an expensive project because they used volunteer labour and materials they already had.

The day of celebration on Sunday will include free travel on the railway for Lawley and Horsehay residents, along with entertainment that includes a brass band and a steam tram demonstration.

The railway has become well-known locally for its Polar Express experiences at Christmas which have brought in a large income.

Mr Owen said some of that money had been used to buy more track and extend the line to Doseley.

After that, he said the "dream" was to eventually extend it to Buildwas.

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