Elsecar Heritage Railway: Track to be lifted at Scheduled Monument site in Yorkshire - but 'sustainable future' likely for attraction

Elsecar Heritage Railway operated on a station built to serve the Earls Fitzwilliams’ ironworks, but the mile-long stretch of track was mothballed two years ago when the lease was handed back to Barnsley Council by a charitable trust that had run it since 2006.

The council own the trackbed, having bought it in 1994, a decade after the closure of the last mine that the branch of the Mexborough to Barnsley freight route served.

Yet an update from Elsecar Heritage Centre has now confirmed that investment is being sought to re-open the line, and it has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England.

The statement read: “Over recent months, thanks to the extensive and positive response to consultation earlier in the year, an inspiring new vision has been coming together for the future of a heritage railway in Elsecar.

“That vision to create a sustainable future for a heritage railway in the village will need significant investment, which is currently being explored. We look forward to revealing more details of that vision over the coming weeks and months.

“Thanks to the Elsecar Heritage Action Zone's work, the railway station area and yard site are now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This means that we need a very close understanding of archaeology and ground conditions to plan for future structures that may be required for that new vision for the heritage railway.

“Over the coming weeks, sections of the modern track in the station area, laid since the 1990s, will be lifted so archaeological digs and ground investigations can take place. This will also allow small temporary structures and cabins, which belong to third parties, to be removed from the site. We are also doing seasonal maintenance work to the rest of the track route.

“The Railway Trust handed its lease to the land back to the council in 2020. This did not include any rolling stock.

“A great deal of work has been carried out to establish how a successful and sustainable heritage railway offer can be re-established at Elsecar, reflecting the pride in our railway heritage and what it can mean for our region’s visitor economy. We look forward to sharing more about that work and the resulting vision soon.”