MP praises railway's Covid fightback

* Simon Baynes MP and Liz McGuinness at Llangollen Railway.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes met with the chair of Llangollen Railway, Liz McGuiness, to learn more about their very successful re-opening following the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the visit, Mr Baynes and Liz McGuiness discussed the changes that have been made since re-opening, such as enhanced cleaning regimes, an advanced booking system and hand sanitising stations.

They travelled in the steam train to Carrog, where the tea-room was very busy, then back to Llangollen.

Mr Baynes praised Liz McGuiness and all the staff  and volunteers at Llangollen Railway for their efforts in ensuring that all visitors, staff  and volunteers can enjoy their experience at Llangollen Railway safely. 

He also learnt more about how they have weathered the Coronavirus crisis through fundraising and a grant of £161,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

They continue to invest in the railway infrastructure, particularly in Corwen where the Corwen Group is making big strides in restoring the station, and also see a steady income stream from their engineering department.

Liz McGuinness said: “We are really grateful for the support received by Simon during the past months. The volunteers and staff have worked extremely hard and we are looking forward to our Santa season and to a great 2021.”

Simon Baynes MP said: “Following their fundraising events earlier in the year, it is great to see that the Llangollen Railway has re-opened with the appropriate social distancing guidelines. 

"The railway is a terrific tourist attraction and I look forward to seeing it continue to bounce back following the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"I fully agree with the Prime Minister’s comments about the Llangollen Railway in May in Parliament when he said it had a “fabulous future.”