Alford Valley Community Railway receives safety equipment funding
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A popular north-east attraction will receive funding from Aberdeenshire Council to buy safety equipment.
Members of the Alford Valley Community Railway (AVCR) had applied to the Aberdeenshire Charities Trust.
They asked for £1000 to buy PPE and first aid kits to ensure the safety of its volunteers.
AVCR members signed a 25-year lease with the local authority last year to get the facility back up and running again.
The popular narrow-gage railway was initially opened back in 1979 but was closed in 2017 due to concerns about the condition of the track.
But members of the Alford community rallied together in a bid to open the facility once again.
They submitted an asset transfer request to Aberdeenshire Council in September 2020 seeking a lease of the former railway station building, engine shed and grounds.
Councillors approved the transfer last January.
AVCR members have now started renovation work to the station and railway track, and are hoping to start running trains again later this year.
The PPE and first aid kits will ensure all volunteers working on the site will be kept safe.
The application was considered by members of the Marr area committee on Tuesday.
It was backed by councillor Gwyneth Petrie who said: “We’ve got a great community group doing a lot of work here, they’ve got a huge amount of volunteers.
“Let’s grant the money and let them get on with it safely.”
The application was unanimously approved.
