A NEW group has been set up to revive a one-popular heritage railway which attracted visitors from across the globe.
Elsecar Heritage Railway operated on a station built to serve the Earls Fitzwilliams’ ironworks, but the mile-long stretch of track was mothballed in 2020 when a lease was handed back to Barnsley Council by a charity - the Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) Trust - which had run it as a visitor attraction since 2006.
Spiralling financial problems, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, were blamed for its sudden closure.
Plans were put forward in recent years to bring it back to life to little success - and now a new group has been launched with the hopes of supporting the council.
The group, called ‘SOS Save Our Station’, say they want to bring the community together to help revive the railway.
A spokesperson for the group told the Chronicle: “This group simply wants to help the council gain funding to bring back the railway.
“It was originally just to give the station a lick of paint so it wasn’t such an eye sore.
“We are not interested in politics, we just want to be proud of where we live and provide support for any projects that will help get the station and trains running again.
“We are only a small few that just want to see some community spirit back and this cause is something most people are passionate about.
“If we can bring the community together and show we can work with local government then isn’t that a win-win?”
The council say they are keen to to explore how to restore the site, but admit there are a number of challenges facing those plans.
Matt O’Neill, executive director for place, said: “We know the Elsecar Heritage Railway was incredibly well loved by visitors, local people, and those who volunteered to help keep it running.
“It was a huge shame that the independent trust responsible for operating the railway was unable to continue and reluctantly decided to hand it back to the council in 2020.
“We would love to explore how we celebrate Elsecar’s railway heritage.
“However, restoring and operating a heritage railway is a major undertaking.
“It requires a substantial amount of money, specialist expertise, ongoing maintenance, and a long-term sustainable business model.
“That doesn’t change the fact that we understand the affection people have for the railway and the role it played in Elsecar’s story.
“As we continue to look at the long-term future of the wider heritage site, we remain open to exploring opportunities that could celebrate Elsecar’s railway heritage in a way that is practical, sustainable and beneficial for future generations.”
He added that the council welcome any proposals from the local community.
“It’s important to be honest and realistic about the scale of the challenge,” he said.
“Any future solution would need to be financially viable, deliverable and capable of succeeding over the long term.
“Our focus is on finding the right opportunities for Elsecar to protect its heritage while creating a sustainable future for this remarkable site and we have a dedicated and expert team working on this.
“The council welcomes any initiative from the local community that might support the future development of a railway offer at Elsecar Heritage Centre and encourage individuals to get in touch with us to discuss this further.
“We are in the process of completing a master planning exercise for the site that will enable us to develop a shared vision for the centre and work with major funders to secure future investment.”
