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West Somerset Railway launches appeal for 'vital' £1m

Geograph/Gareth James Trains at Minehead stationGeograph/Gareth James
The line was closed in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

A heritage railway has launched a £1m emergency appeal after missing out on government funding.

West Somerset Railway (WSR) says it has had two formal appeals turned down following the rejection of its bid for a second round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage (CRFH).

It had been awarded £864,00 in the first round of grants.

A WSR spokesman said missing out on the funding was a "significant" issue.

The line, which runs between Minehead and Bishop's Lydeard and was once part of the Great West Railway, closed in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions but began welcoming visitors again at the end of May 2021.

The railway was granted the £864,000 in the first round of funding in October 2020, with the final instalment paid just before Easter this year.

Bosses at the railway say more money is now needed to see the 22-mile line through to 2022 and beyond, as its 2021 season's projected income will be insufficient to meet its running costs.

WSR Plc chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said he was "bitterly disappointed" to have not been given more money from the fund, which is allocated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

"This additional CRFH money would have provided a vital, further financial lifeline needed for the railway's survival, and we are confident that all of the projects we put forward for support were needed to help get the much-loved West Somerset Railway back up and running normally again," he said.

Mr Jones-Pratt said the combination of a shorter operating season and capacity issues caused by Covid-19 meant that the line faced trading losses that could reach £1m.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund who administered the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage said "In the second round the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage supported 476 heritage organisations with grants, providing a vital lifeline. The Govt has always been clear that in this very challenging time, and despite this being the biggest one-off investment in culture in England's history, this funding would not be enough to help every organisation. The crisis is unprecedented. This means not everyone who applied in each round could be supported."