The Bala Lake Railway travels through beautiful countryside and is hoping to be extended (Image: Bala Lake Railway Trust)
A “long-held dream” to extend a steam railway into the heart of a quaint market town in Wales is in the works – but £4.5million needs to be raised to ensure it is full steam ahead.
Planning permission has been granted for the almost one-mile extension of the Bala Lake Railway which runs through beautiful Snowdonia countryside – and there’s hope it could gain further support from the Government.
The trust behind the railway is appealing for the public to back the project which it says will boost the local economy and improve the experience for tourists.
£1.6m has already been raised and thousands more has been donated in the last week since the new fundraiser went live.
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Julian Birley, chairman of the Bala Lake Railway Trust, told Express.co.uk: “We are incredibly grateful to all those supporters who donated the £1.6m to get us this far.
“Having now got the planning permission everything we do now is towards definitely making this happen.
“We are looking to raise £4.5m – this will be to build the railway infrastructure and a new station building.
“While this is a lot of money in anyone’s mind, £4.5m is less than some authorities spend on a roundabout.”
Bala Lake Railway is a 9-mile return journey through stunning scenery along Bala Lake – Wales’ largest natural lake which was formed by a melted glacier.
Bala Lake Railway is a 9-mile return journey through stunning scenery along Bala Lake (Image: Bala Lake Railway Trust)
Currently, the train terminates a 10-minute walk away from Bala – but an extension would see the train stop a stone’s throw from the town’s High Street.
The trust is set to meet Westminster MP Liz Saville Roberts and Synedd Member Mabon ap Gwynfor as it looks to gain financial backing from Government.
Mr Birley said: “In this part of Snowdonia, tourism is the main industry and with the extension of the railway along some of the most scenic parts of Wales, we are raising the level of the product we offer visitors, encouraging them to stay longer and consequently spend more money.
“We don’t expect more visitors to Wales than are already here.”
Reverend Dorothy Evans, 79, has lived in Bala for 18 years and told the Express.co.uk: “I think it is a marvellous idea. It should bring more visitors and business and it will be a good advantage to the town.”
Rui Brasil, 55, is the owner of the Old Wives’ Tales restaurant in Bala and said the expansion will be “brilliant” for the town.
“It will improve everything, more people, more business for local businesses. I think it’s what Bala needs to keep improving and getting better.
“Maybe we will even get some more businesses too. There’s a few nice buildings that are empty and maybe it will open more businesses and a few more jobs as well which is always important.”
The route proposed for the Bala Lake Railway expansion (Image: Bala Lake Railway Trust)
The town is perched on the shores of the lake which shares its name.
It is some four miles long and a mile wide, and is popular with water sports enthusiasts who benefit from the winds that sweep through the surrounding valley.
Bala Lake is also home to a host of wildlife including herons and buzzards. The journey there and back takes about an hour, with Llanuwchllyn Station acting as the railway’s HQ.
Other stops include Pentrepiod Halt which only has room for one carriage and Llangower Station which is ideal for lakeside walks and bird watchers.
The trains used on the route are all ex-quarry steam engines that are more than 100 years old. All but one of the trains worked on the nearby Dinorwic slate quarry in Llanberis.