UK government offers £1 million prize to encourage heritage railway tourism

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has launched a £1 million #competition open to rail and heritage rail operators in an attempt to encourage more tourists to use the UK’s railways. 

Set up by the Department for Transport, the competition offers grants to rail operators to fund innovative ideas and is aimed particularly at the nation’s heritage railways and community rail partnerships.  

The majority of heritage railways are located outside the capital, and the key objective of the competition is to encourage overseas tourists to travel to destinations beyond London. According to government statistics, around 10 million people visit heritage railways in the UK every year, with the sector thought to be worth around £250 million to the nation's economy. 

The UK’s community rail lines account for around 40 million journeys each year, mostly in rural areas which use rail lines to support tourism. 

‘We want more tourists to experience the best of Britain beyond the capital and help boost local economies across the country,’ said tourism and heritage minister, David Evennett. ‘Heritage railways are a huge draw for tourists and this competition will encourage more visitors to see some of the hidden gems this country has to offer.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Footplate controls of British steam Locomotive 34007 Wadebridge via photopin.com

See Sardinia by train

A LITTLE-KNOWN fact about #Sardinia is that it has 450 miles of standard and narrow gauge railway … and a vintage steam train.

The Railway Touring Company has been offering its 'Sardinia and the Emerald Coast' tour for 15 years, and has refined the route to take in all of the highlights in a nine-day journey around the mountainous Italian island.

The company's tour travels by narrow gauge train along the coastal route from Bosa to Tresnuraghes, and by special vintage train, from Palau Marina Station climbing into the hills, through forests and along deep valleys to Tempio Pausania, to descend once more, crossing bridges and viaducts and winding through villages to pause at Nulvi for a local feast.

On the final day of the Sardinian odyssey a steam-hauled chartered narrow gauge train of restored wooden-bodied vintage carriages will take holidaymakers north along the scenic Sorgono branch, a line no longer open to regular traffic, and which was rescued from closure in 2015.

'Sardinia and the Emerald Coast' costs £2,155, including flights between London and Cagliari, all rail and coach transport, transfers, hotels, lunches, dinners, and the services of a tour manager.

The company offers a range of heritage rail-based tours in Britain, Europe, Sri Lanka, Canada, the Andes, Peru, and India.

www.railwaytouring.net

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Take a ride … and a walk

COMBINING a train ride with a country walk is a popular option for many visitors to the #WestSomersetRailway. 

A new leaflet has been published encouraging walks between the coastal stations at Blue Anchor, Dunster, and Minehead. Produced by the volunteers at each of the three stations, the leaflet features a description of each station and a full-size colour map showing roads, tracks, and footpaths in the surrounding countryside to help visitors plan a ramble.

It is available from the stations, and via a link at www.wsr.org.uk/ba-dr-md-leaflet.pdf

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10708196@N00/1598059812">P1030838</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)

All aboard across the moor

FOR a different type of day out in West Country, board the #WestSomersetRailway – England’s longest heritage railway – for the Lynton & Lynmouth Explorer excursion. 

On the north coast of the Exmoor National Park and overlooking the Bristol Channel the twin villages of #LyntonandLynmouth – linked by a water-powered Victorian cliff railway – are two of the most attractive destinations in Somerset.

Passengers travel on the 10.25 a.m. steam train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead, where they are met by a coach that takes them across Exmoor to the twin villages of Lynton & Lynmouth for a lunchtime visit of approximately two hours. The return coach leaves at 2.30 p.m. The steam train home departs at 4.05 p.m., arriving back at Bishops Lydeard at 5.22 p.m. – and there’s a Somerset cream tea option (£5.50) on the return train journey.

Costs: £22 (adults), £11 (children aged 5 to 15), £50.00 (for a family of two adults and up to four children).

Upcoming dates: September 11, 18, and 25.
Book online

(http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/product.php/35/the-lynton-and-lynmouth-explorer) or call 01643 704996.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Lynton and Lynmouth explorer