The South Tynedale Railway has announced that it has become one of 445 organisations in the UK to receive a financial boost from the government thanks to the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund. The South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society has received a total grant of £84,300. The railway is currently closed to the public and the funding will allow vital costs to be paid. It will also help the railway prepare for the running season in 2021, with maintenance and rebuilding of steam locomotives already ongoing. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: ‘As a nation, it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback postCOVID’. South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, Chair of Trustees, David Granath, said: ‘This funding gives us hope that we can once again welcome visitors back to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to ride through the lovely South Tyne valley on our trains. We believe that our 90-minute return trip with cafés and car parking at each end of the line is the perfect package for a family day out and for the railway enthusiast’. (Rail Advent, Richard Bain)