Talyllyn Railway orders new Carriages from Boston Lodge

Tywyn based Talyllyn Railway has announced that it has placed an order with the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. 

The Railway recently secured a £300,000 grant from the Coastal Community Fund towards the new carriages, which will provide resilience in their passenger services by increasing the capacity in peak seasons and providing heated passenger accommodation during the winter months. It will also mean that the Railway would be able to restrict the use of the original carriages built in 1865, utilising them for special occasions and providing an opportunity for visitors to see them in situ. 

General Manager Stuart Williams commented: 

“We are delighted to be able to award the contract to fellow Great Little Trains of Wales members, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. Their works at Boston Lodge have produced some exceptional examples of carriages for narrow gauge railways throughout the UK and we are confident that the three new carriages will be a great asset to the railway going forward. We are also pleased that the contract will benefit another coastal-based business in Wales and boost the Gwynedd economy as a whole – both during the construction and when in use.” 

Speaking on behalf of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, General Manager Paul Lewin said: 

“The friendship between the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog railways goes back right to the very earliest days of railway preservation. It is therefore very pleasing indeed to win the contract for the construction of new carriages. The team at Boston Lodge have built up a very strong reputation for high quality work and it is good to know that the jobs of those skilled craftsmen have been secured for years to come as a result of this contract.”