Swanage Railway in Dorset has launched a £25,000 public appeal to help fund the overhaul and conversion of two former 1950s and 1960s British Railways Mark One carriages to enable access for all, including wheelchair users.
The conversion work will see each of the carriages – one built in 1958 and the other in the early 1960s – have accessible toilets designed for wheelchair users, extra wide doors for wheelchairs and mobility scooters as well as spacious interiors to comfortably accommodate wheelchair users and their companions.
“Values of respect, inclusion and community”
The heritage railway has also applied to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of £249,000 towards the project.
Swanage Railway chief executive officer Abbie King said:
“Our £249,000 National Heritage Lottery Fund application is a huge opportunity but we need to raise at least £25,000 towards the project to make it happen.
“Every donation to the Swanage Railway Trust’s Access for Everyone initiative – no matter the size – brings us closer to a railway that is truly open to everyone, a railway where no-one feels like a second class visitor and a railway that reflects our values of respect, inclusion and community.
“Any donation will make a real difference because every pound gets us closer to creating a more inclusive railway for everyone to enjoy.
“If donors are able to add Gift Aid then that’s even better because Gift Aid costs donors nothing extra. If donors are UK taxpayers, it allows the Swanage Railway to claim an extra 25 pence for every £1 donated – making the support of donors go even further.”
“Doing the right thing”
Both Mark One carriages were built by British Railways and classed as Tourist Second Open carriages with each vehicle having 64 seats.
British Rail withdrew both carriages from service on the national railway network in the early 1990s with the vehicles being purchased by the Swanage Railway for a new working life in the Isle of Purbeck – No. 4842 in the early 1990s and No. 4961 in the late 1990s.
Abbie King added:
“Swanage Railway has always been about people. It’s about families making memories, volunteers giving their time and a community coming together to keep something special alive.
“But, right now, the truth is that not everyone can experience the Swanage Railway in the way they should be able to and that needs to change.
“This project is a major step forward and the conversion of the two 1950s former British Railways carriages will not be token adaptations.
“They will be developed to the same high standard seen on leading heritage railways, allowing wheelchair users and those with additional needs to travel comfortably, safely and alongside their families. This is about dignity, it’s about inclusion and it’s about doing the right thing.
“For too long, some of our visitors have had to travel in the guard’s carriage – where they are often separated from their families and with a much more limited experience due to the smaller windows. That is not the Swanage Railway we want to be.”
Charitable status
It’s also been announced that Swanage Railway has officially been granted charitable status by the Charity Commission.
This helps to secure its future as one of the country’s leading heritage railways, while also opening up greater opportunities to access grant funding and charitable support.
Further information
- Donations to the Swanage Railway Trust’s Access for Everyone initiative can be made via the Swanage Railway’s website
