London’s nearest heritage railway, the Epping Ongar, has launched a campaign to save the steam trains from permanent closure.

The Epping Ongar Railway runs a fleet of steam and diesel trains along the former London Underground tracks between North Weald and Ongar, and had been hoping to eventually reconnect the line back to Epping again.

Due to the impact of the Coronavirus, the railway has been closed and unable to generate any income but still needs to undertake basic maintenance to track, bridges, stations, locomotives and carriages and to ensure that it is ready to operate safely when it reopens.

However, without any income the future of the Railway is now thought to be at risk and without any volunteers there is a real chance that it might not reopen.

They’ve now launched a campaign to raise £200,000 to ensure that it can reopen when the lockdown is finally over.

Since launching the appeal, almost 200 people have made donations ranging from £10 to £2,000 but the Railway still needs a lot more to reach its target of £200,000.

To support the railway, go here.

Pitchford Hall, 4953 – photo by Andy Duncan

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4 comments
  1. Maurice Reed says:
    21 May 2020 at 3:18 pm

    All of the heritage steam railways have struggled these last 8 weeks. Have made a donation to the SVR myself. It will be very sad if anyo under.

  2. Southern Heights (Light Railway) says:
    22 May 2020 at 9:02 am

    I have donated to two of my favourites….

  3. JP says:
    26 May 2020 at 1:58 am

    There’s a certain joy to (remembering) passing through the countryside of the east end of the Central line, especially if you got on via the central London worm tunnels of Bank or others.
    Even better when you chuff onwards to the end of the line at Ongar from near-by nearby Eppin’.
    If these steam railways were pandas or going back further, whales, or shall I say Bitterns even then their fluffiness and fight with manmade maladies practically guarantees dosh.
    But they too are alive, it’s just that we made them rather than Mother Nature or Him upstairs depending upon your proclivities.
    Let’s cough up for the chuff chuffs and save these beautiful beasts of burden and the world in which they and their human helpers live!

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