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Grant aid made Welsh Highland difference

Some might argue that having fought hard to obtain a Light Railway Order, the 1964 Group was then cheated out of the opportunity of moving forward.

It is may be correct that the1964 Group could not have rebuilt the line, but we will never know what the outcome might have been. What we do know, is that in practice the Ffestiniog Railway also lacked all the necessary resources. The Welsh Highland has been rebuilt with the aid of a substantial amount of taxpayer’s money in the form of grants, development funds and so forth, in the hope that the money can be recovered through leisure income and regional regeneration. As the FR has not completed the railway to date, that hope has not so far been turned into reality.

Nonetheless, the re-opened Welsh Highland, thus far to Pont Croesor in 2010, is a magnificent achievement. With its scenery and the Beyer Garratts, it offers a unique travel experience.

In my view Mike Hart is worth his OBE and other WHR pioneers should also receive recognition. Ffestiniog pioneers such as Alan Pegler (also mentioned in your magazine) have been recognised for their efforts.

With this in mind, I hope that the Welsh Highland and newly formed Welsh Highland Heritage Railway can work together and forget recent difficulties.

If I remember correctly, the FR did not rely heavily on public funding to re-open the Ffestiniog Railway, as its legal battle with the CEGB generated income, it did have some MSC input I think and a grant for the new station at Blaenau. However, it does still struggle for funding. Staff redundancies have occurred, although the line has made some financial progress recently.

Having won the political argument the FR has had to rely on significant public funds, to the tune of nearly fifty per cent I understand.

While well placed individuals and groups have managed to provide some support with locomotives and stock, the railway currently struggles for equipment. On the engineering side, without taxpayer and public support via the likes of the Millennium Commission, Welsh Development Agency, Welsh Tourist Board and the European Regional Development Fund, the FR would not have been able to re-open the Welsh Highland. It would have remained a rich railway enthusiast's pipe dream.

Tom Ingrams
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