Brand new steam locomotive Beachy Head, a major Worth Valley bridge reconstruction and the flood-hit Downpatrick and County Down Railway are among more than 50 projects, people and achievements that have made the shortlist for the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2025.
Judges in the prestigious awards have whittled down the largest ever field of entries (up 25% on 2024) to a shortlist in 12 categories covering restorations, new projects and personal achievements. The panel met at the National Railway Museum in York on December 5 to pore over all of the nominations. It is chaired by NRM Senior Curator Anthony Coulls. The panel scored dozens of entries from a strong field to create the shortlist, which will go forward to the awards event itself in February.
Anthony Coulls said: “With such a strong field this year, it was an incredible task for the team to shortlist. In an ideal world, every one would be a winner. Despite the exceptional quantity and quality of entries, the panel managed to shortlist to the eventual candidates and I’m very much looking forward to seeing who wins in each. So many achievements and such a high bar set for future years, a real cause for celebration in the heritage railway world, whoever takes the awards on the night”
The HRA awards recognise excellence or innovation in almost every aspect of heritage railway and tramway restoration, preservation and operation. Past winners have ranged from the Swanage Railway-based restoration of Victorian ‘T3’ Class steam locomotive No. 563, to the Llangollen Railway for their Corwen extension project, and the 15in gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway for their marketing.
The headline Railway of the Year category will be contested by Cornwall’s Lappa Valley Railway, the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, the North Norfolk Railway and the Vale of Rheidol Railway … a field that covers six gauges ranging from 7 ¼ in to 4ft 8 ½ in; plus steam, diesel, battery electric and even water power.
The Steam Locomotive Award, sponsored by Paintman Paints pits new-build London Brighton and South Coast Railway-designed ‘Atlantic’ No. 32424 Beachy Head from the Bluebell Railway against freshly restored Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 46464, known as ‘The Carmyllie Pilot’, Severn Valley Railway-based Stanier ‘Mogul’ No. 13268, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway ‘2884’ Class 2-8-0 No. 3850, and 2ft gauge Bagnall 0-4-0ST Sybil. Each of them has overcome specific engineering challenges to return to steam during the last year to form the lengthiest ‘shortlist’ the category has ever seen after significant judging panel deliberation.
Over in the Diesel and Electric Locomotion category the shortlist features locomotives and trams large and small. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Class 20 No. 20 228, which has been rebuilt after service in France, is up against Tanfield Railway-based Fowler 0-6-0DH Ribblesdale Cement - itself restored to original condition from a cement encrusted state - The Tramway Museum Society’s restoration of London County Council unique ‘Bluebird’ No. 1 and Seaton Tramways rebuild of Modern Electric Tramways Car No. 23.
In the Morgan Award for Rolling Stock the judges also had a tough time shortlisting from a strong and eclectic field. The Bluebell Railway’s restoration and adaptation for wheelchair access of Pullman Car No. 54, Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway-based restoration of 1877-built Great Eastern Railway royal saloon No. 8, the Bahamas Locomotive Society breakdown train at the Keighley and Worth Valley, and the Ffestiniog Railway’s recreated carriage truck will compete.
The Bahamas group’s crane also featured in the Worth Valley’s Bridge 27 renewal project at Haworth, which is shortlisted in the Infrastructure Award. Also making the shortlist in this category are the Gwili Railway’s Abergwili Junction extension project, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s work on Stanway Viaduct, and the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s new museum at Aberystwyth.
The new Achievement of the Year category, sponsored by Wrigleys Solicitors, generated the largest number of entries for any single category. The Downpatrick and County Down Railway for their flood recovery work, East Lancashire Railway for their expanded Santa Specials, Northampton and Lamport Railway for their Boughton extension, and Severn Valley Railway for their partnership with Network Rail were the entries shortlisted by judges.
Also new for 2025 is the Innovation of the Year category, sponsored by Railway 200. Shortlisted were the East Lancashire Railway for their tailored special educational needs and disabilities Santa Specials, Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway for their digital safety management work, and the North Norfolk Railway for their peer support group.
The third new category for the latest HRA Awards is Station of the Year. A trio of top stations made the shortlist; Eardington station on the Severn Valley Railway, Lynton and Lynmouth on the famous cliff railway, and Weybourne station on the North Norfolk Railway.
The Marketing and Communications Award, sponsored by Fox and Edwards Events, also has three finalists. The Central Tramway in Scarborough, the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, and the Kent and East Sussex Railway for their Mr Doodle event.
The HRA Annual Awards is not all about rolling stock and projects though, a third of the categories are focused on the people who make heritage rail possible. The longest standing of them, the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer of the Year Award has a shortlist of four this year; Jack Baldwin from the Severn Valley Railway, Elise Campbell from the Tanfield Railway, Aodhan Kavanagh from the Kent and East Sussex Railway, and Alex Raybould from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.
The Rising Star category, sponsored by PNP Events is designed to celebrate up-and-coming staff and volunteers in heritage rail. This year it also has four shortlisted candidates. Jack Ataou from the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, Hannah Drury from the North Norfolk Railway, Luke Ryan from the Talyllyn Railway, and Seb Welsh from the West Somerset Railway.
The Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Destination, was another that attracted huge interest for the 2025 awards. Another four-strong shortlist features the group that reopened the Alford Valley Community Railway in Scotland, the flood recovery team at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland electrical team known as ‘The E Squad’, and the Watercress Line’s Education and Outreach Team.
In addition to the 12 categories above, the awards judging panel also agreed that the Chairman’s Special Award and the Manisty Award for Excellence will be handed to a pair of outstanding projects at the 2025 ceremony. The details of both winners will be revealed on the night.
Also announced on the night will be awards from four leading heritage rail publications, the Heritage Railway magazine Interpretation Award, The Railway Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, Rail Express magazine award, and Steam Railway magazine Readers Award. Editors from all four publications also took part in the awards judging panel.
Heritage Railway Association Chief Executive, Steve Oates, added: “We’ve never received so many entries for the HRA Awards, despite the huge challenges being faced by heritage railways right now. It’s testament to just how much brilliant work is going on and there is a lot for the whole sector to be very proud of.
“We’ve got shortlisted entries from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. From miniature railways, narrow gauge railways, tramways, funiculars and of course standard gauge lines. It demonstrates how important the awards have become for everyone in heritage rail. Shortlisting has genuinely never been so hard, so we need to give all of the finalists a huge congratulations for making it through to the awards ceremony in the North East during February.
“It’s a special year with the Railway 200 celebrations, so this event is going to be an absolute mustn’t miss – we’re expecting the biggest turnout ever.”
Winners will be announced during a glamorous dinner at the Hilton Hotel in NewcastleGateshead on Saturday, 8 February 2025 featuring guest speakers and a three-course meal. Tickets for the event will be available to purchase soon.
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