Volk's Railway to open during half term

Visitors to the seafront attraction will have the first opportunity to see its new Aquarium station and visitor centre from Saturday, October 14, to Sunday, October 29.

It will also open over the weekend of the Veteran Car Run, on November 4 and 5.

Work to restore the railway started last November, with the creation of a new heritage visitor centre for the famous Victorian attraction and workshop at the aquarium site, as well as the restoration of three original carriages.

One of the carriages is already finished, after work by locomotive specialist Alan Keef, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire.

The project is expected to be finished towards the end of the year to allow a full service to be operational from Easter 2018.

Other new plans, for the Christmas period, include the Volk’s running a Santa Express service at weekends in December.

Cllr Alan Robins, lead member for tourism on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “It’s brilliant to see the Volk's being able to extend its opening times and range of activities thanks to the new visitor centre and facilities. The railway is one of the city’s oldest treasures and the funding injection it’s had means more residents and visitors will enjoy these seaside journeys for many more years to come.”

The new visitor centre has been designed by Hove practice ABIR architects and funded with contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Brighton and Hove City Council and Volk’s Electrical Railway Association (VERA). The centre will be free to access and features interactive exhibits to bring to life the story of inventor Magnus Volk and his pioneering railway.

Work to create a conservation workshop at the site of the former train sheds will continue over the autumn. Once complete, the workshop will provide training space for volunteers as well as allowing visitors to view ongoing restoration work.

For more information, visit: volkselectricrailway.co.uk