Historic Gobowen station sale boosts Oswestry revival hopes

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The platform buildings at Gobowen station on the Shrewsbury to Chester line, part of the GWR route from Paddington to Birkenhead, have been bought by community organisation the Gobowen Area Improvement Group – and may be used to help start a new shuttle of heritage service to Oswestry.

The buildings on both the Up and Down platforms had been in private ownership for many years and were destined to be sold at auction.

The buildings on Gobowen’s platform 1 now in the care of a community group. GAIP

However, Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council stepped in with a Community Right to Bid application.

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Through the Community Right to Bid process, the group had to raise the necessary funding for the purchase and sought assistance from Three Parishes Big Local, the Big Lottery funded programme led by local residents that is investing in Gobowen, St Martins and Weston Rhyn.

Three Parishes Big Local provided a grant and a loan totalling £110,000 as part of the funding required.

The ticket office on platform 2 was part of the sale. GAIP

Now the station can not only be restored to its former glory, but could provide a northern terminus for Cambrian Railways to fulfil its ambition of running a regular service to Oswestry, with intermediate stations at the Orthopaedic Hospital and tourist attractions along the route.

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