An extension to a heritage railway line in North Wales is set to boost the local economy by £1.25 million per year.
The £4.5 million project to extend Bala Lake Railway was granted planning permission by the Eryri National Park Authority after more than a decade of work by Bala Lake Railway Trust.
Extending the track by 1.2km from its current remote terminus at Pen-y-Bont to the town centre is predicted to increase spend on the high street and within the local area by £1.25 million each year.
Bala Lake Railway Trust chairman Julian Birley said:
“This is a very exciting day here in Wales and we would all like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported us both financially and morally in something that until now was completely speculative.
“Without that backing, this would all still be and remain a dream. That belief in us and the project is what kept us all going, and we will never forget that.”
The scheme includes five years of support from engineering, environmental, and planning consultancy Caulmert, which has offices in St Asaph and Bangor. Although the extension is less than a mile long, it is not short of engineering challenges. A bridge over the River Dee will require widening, roads need diverting, and a new level crossing is necessary.
The station building, which is in a conservation zone, has been designed to be in sympathy with the environment.
“It’s a tricky project with lots of different engineering hurdles,” explained Caulmert associate David High, who is the engineering lead on the project.
“The proposed route of the railway will be alongside a road and uses part of an existing road bridge to cross the River Dee. It will also be on top of an embankment providing flood protection to the town of Bala.
“Without the cooperation of Gwynedd Council and NRW, the project would not be viable.”
Founder and managing director Mike Caulfield, whose company also has offices in Altrincham, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Kent, said:
“I’m really pleased that we have been able to support the scheme.“It has required our multi-disciplinary team, based in North Wales, to do a lot of ‘outside the box’ thinking to reach this milestone.
“We look forward to developing our relationship with Bala Lake Railway Trust through the detailed design and implementation stages.”
