A huge thank you to the Port of Dover for showing Tim and Anna around the imposing Dover Marine Station - built in a beaux arts style at the start of the 20th century, it’s an imposing structure now used as part of the cruise terminal.

Visited Tynemouth Station on Saturday to see how well the market uses the old canopies of the station to make a thriving collection of stalls. Part of the Nexus network, 2 of the platforms are still in use. There are many other stations where this business model could be replicated.

Celebrating the completion of forecourt works at Grade II listed Beeston Station, Notts with @EastMidRailway. We supported their investment with a £20k grant . Good to meet so many of the station friends and adopters who help with planting & generally making it a special place.

On my way to Beeston today via Newark Castle - it’s going to be a day of Midland Railway architecture. The station (1846) and Station Master’s House (1860) are both listed. The station, one of the earliest the MR built, is in an Italianate style.

Congratulations to the Rhondda Tunnel Society for obtaining planning permission to excavate the Blaencwm Portal of the Tunnel (shown below - it’s a field). We have awarded a £100k grant to support this work. The current method of accessing the tunnel is not easy as I found out in 2023.

Many years ago we gave a grant to restore the last remaining part of the station building at Sowerby Bridge. It’s run as the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms. There is old signage and old photos. Along with the work of the Station Friends Group, it helps make a charmimg station.

As we come to the end of a very memorable 40th anniversary year, we'd like to thank all our supporters for their help & commitment to our wonderful railway heritage. We wish you a very Happy Christmas & best wishes for 2026! Photo: Hopetown Darlington, a project we supported in 2024.

A visit to Shrewsbury today with Network Rail Wales Route to look at disused space at the south end of Pl 3, one room of which used to be a ticket hall hence only half the floor is tiled. It’s a potential project to refurbish it for office space & we’ll give a grant to restore heritage.

The end of a long journey - a testament to the tenacity of Geoff & Sue Mitchell, the restoration of Mytholmroyd Station House - the Local Motive - is finished; a delight to see what’s been achieved inside by architect Jacquie Milham when the grand opening took place yesterday.

We always celebrate after our Nat Railway Heritage Awards Trustee Mtg in December with a drink. This year is especially important as Andy Savage stands down as Chairman next year as does Malcolm Wood as Trustee in charge of plaques. Thanks both for all you’ve done for the charity over many years.

Oh gawd, I suppose I'm obliged to have a take on the Great British Railways livery/branding unveiled today [image from the BBC news website]. Well then, here's a thread. First off, my hot take is that as usual I don't really have one. 1/9

A visit to Town Green Station yesterday with @merseyrail - formerly a BTP station it has potential to be a community hub. On edge of a Cons Area it’s not listed but was where the royal train stopped overnight in a loop line when the royal family visited Aintree or Knowsley Hall.

It’s National Railway Heritage Awards Day, our guest of honour was Lord Peter Hendy,and I’m pleased to say that 5 of the winning entries were also recipients of RHT grants.

Could anyone help identify why the canopy columns on the island platform at Ryde St John’s Road on the Isle of Wight are marked SVSR - all I think is that it stands for Shanklin, Ventnor, Sandown, Ryde. Or is there another explanation? #islandline #isleofwight #ryde

We unveiled a plaque today with Cllr Phil Jordan, Leader of Isle Wight Council at Ryde Esplanade Stn to celebrate all the improvements undertaken by them & @SW_Help, part of which we funded with a £93k grant. Great new cafe & waiting room, & good to see the pier tramway columns revealed & restored.

Great afternoon exploring the southern half of the Isle of Wight Railway. Highlight was listed Brading Station and its excellent restored footbridge, together with signal box accessible from the platform and framed by a nice picket fence.

Our 2nd new Case Study, launched today, is on the recent project at Henley-in-Arden Station undertaken by the Friends Group there. Also written by Harry Taylor while on secondment to us, part of his @networkrail grad programme, it's here on our website: railwayheritagetrust.co.uk/wp-content/upl…

We're publishing a new Case Study today on recent restoration work at Battle Station setting out the benefits of the project. Written by Harry Taylor while on secondment to us, as part of his Network Rail graduate programme, it's here on our website: www.railwayheritagetrust.co.uk/wp-content/u...

We've recently had a few problems with our email addresses. Everything is back working now so apologies if anyone has had any bouncebacks. The generic [email protected] email address is also back working. Thanks to all those who helped resolve the issue.

Wolverton Works' Ambulance trains in WW1 should be remembered for their life saving activities. Haig's train was also built there. And Dave Hilliard led a team fundraising for the WW1 Memorial to the 213 Wolverton Works men who died in WW1. @railwayheritage.bsky.social got us over the funding line.

A visit to Teeside yesterday afternoon to see two projects we have supported this year as part of the SDR200 Festival - & a chance to pop into newly refurbished Preston Hall Museum where they have 3 excellent William Frith paintings including his 1862 one of Paddington Station.

Tim and Andy joined industry partners Arriva Rail London and TfL to celebrate the opening of refurbished Clapton Station on the Weaver Line - we supported the works with a grant and they have done a great job. Andy cut the ribbon.

Not often I get to practically help, but today I put my thick gardening gloves on, grabbed some secateurs & joined a team fm Hitachi to help the Friends of the S&DR clear vegetation from Heighington coal drops - revealed once more - we even found an old relic from the original LNER.

I’m at the NE Mining Institute Newcastle today for the 63rd UITPnRegional & Suburban Railways Committee & Division Mtg - thanks for inviting me to speak about the work of the RHT. It’s a great venue which holds in its archives the 1st map with a drawing of a stationary steam engine on it.

Thank you to Network Rail Eastern Region & Colt Construction for facilitating a visit to the clock tower at Scarborough Station, the restoration of which we are planning to support with a grant. Amazingly detailed decoration for a structure never meant to be viewed so close up.

An interesting visit today to Westmorland and the listed remains of Furness Abbey Station, later The Abbey Tavern and now owned by English Heritage. A complex site intricately linked to the Cistercian Abbey adjacent, would be good to see it have a sustainable future.

A fascinating project by Coventry CC which we supported with a small grant to restore the historic boundary wall with the railway. It’s not often we can support a historic park or garden. See next post for what it looked like before restoration. www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article...

If you have not seen the latest on the restoration of James Robb Scott’s Richmond station, watch this and swoon at the inter-war glamour. A great SWR - Network Rail - @railwayheritage.bsky.social project. www.linkedin.com/posts/south-...

Good to see so many places which the RHT has supported with grants in our 40 year history, in Michael Portillo's new series - 200 Years of the Railways - inc. Darlington North Rd, Newcastle HLB, Heighington & York. A great showcase for #Railway200 #sdrfestival. Do watch!

Today’s visit was to GWR’s Stroud Sttion - hopefully a project to turn disused space into a commercial let - this used to be the General Waiting Rm. Unfortunately disruption earlier means I won’t make it to the Rocket All Aboard launch in Manchester this evening. Hope it goes well!

Hello to an old friend - a 1930s London Transport sign we bought back some 25 years ago & that was displayed at 55 Broadway. Returned and unveiled today at the station it was made for in 1937. @railwayheritage.bsky.social

Changing trains at @TPExpressTrains Selby station Platform 1, and nice to see these lovely air bricks of overlapping train wheels and flowers - a bit of a scrub with some soapy water would get them shining again! Similar ones on the canteen building in Holgate works, York #railwayheritage

The work undertaken by Network Rail Eastern Region and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway at Keighley has been one of the best projects we've supported recently. Architectural photographer Nina Carrington visited recently and here are four images she captured of the completed work. Beautiful!

It’s been a few years since we awarded a grant to the Calder Valley Community Land Trust to help them restore the S/B at Hebden Br. They’ve finally got a lease & today I went in to have a look. It’s going to make a great restoration project retaining the lever frame & creating a small holiday let.

Great work by South Western Railway to restore the derelict Grade II listed stn house at #EwellWestStation into a residential unit to let. A great reuse of a historic space to bring revenue into the industry. Well done - we were delighted to help with grant funding. #railwayheritagetrust

Architectural photographer Nina Carrington has recently visited #Coventry Station to record completed work which we have supported with grants working in partnership with AvantiWestCoast and NetworkRail NW&C Region to restore tiling, install new skylights & new signage.

Great meeting on site today with Paul Sweeney MSP, Helen from Spirit of Springburn and Matt from Network Rail Scotland to discuss all things Springburn - a B listed station building in an ocean of Glasgow railway history.

Last Thursday we were pleased to help the Friends of the S&DR celebrate their acquisition of the world’s first true station building at Heighington with the help of Hitachi. The RHT awarded a grant of £90k to aid restoration in April 2024 conditional on the Friends acquiring the building.

What a transformation!!! Well done to Network Rail Southern Region and their contractors for restoring this building in Southern Railway colours. #EastFarleigh The building now has a future use as an operational office for the railway. More projects like this that we can help grant fund pls.

We are always pleased to learn about railway heritage in other countries and are in contact with the Regional Revitalisation Team in Misato Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Their Rikuu East line is faced with closure so they are doing heritage tours to raise its profile.

Popped into the NRM this morning to catch the Class 91 on the turntable before it heads off into traffic. A great way to celebrate 50 years of the NRM.

Thank you to S&DR 200 Festival for inviting me to the preview of the new ‘Steam to the Future’ exhibition this evening at Hopetown Darlington - intriguing artwork by A A Murakami - plus a chance to enjoy the museum when it’s a bit quieter on a lovely evening.

We recently posted about a visit to Thurston Station in Suffolk. After the visit we looked into one of our collections of old photos & found these, including the now demolished platform 1 building, the subway under the tracks and the agricultural sidings and depot.

We were pleased to give a grant to the Friends of Glazebrook Station - nr Warrington, built by the Cheshire Lines Committee - to restore their water fountain. It’s now completed and this before and after shows the difference that’s made to a small but decorative feature.

If you fancy a day out by train to the seaside, there’s nowhere better than Cleethorpes and The Mermaid Fish and Chip restaurant at the TPE station next to the beach. Recently restored with help from us it’s a stunning place - and the fish and chips are great too!

A visit around beautiful, but empty Greater Anglia Grade II listed #ThurstonStation building yesterday. A local group are campaigning for a future use and re-opening the subway. A project which we’d gladly support if it came along

Passing back through March this afternoon after a visit to Thurston and good to see the excellent repainting by Greater Anglia in heritage colours which we have helped support with a grant. #railwayheritage #railwayheritagetrust

The #Railway200 #Inspiration Exhibition Train is officially open. Congratulations to Emma and Alan and all the Railway 200 team for a well organised event with Lord Peter Hendy doing the honours assisted by Sir Andrew Haines, a choir, a poet and lots of schoolchildren

We sponsor a National Railway Heritage Award for projects in receipt of one of our grants. Last year the Award was won by Market Rasen for a project delivered by Colt Construction, funded mainly by Network Rail Eastern Region and with an £18k grant from us. Today we unveiled the award plaque.