HRA Annual Awards 2026

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Saturday, 7 March 2026

The Event - Features welcome drinks, a fabulous three-course meal, awards presentations and plenty of glittering entertainment    The Awards - From stunning locomotives to volunteers at the top of their game - plus a myriad of outstanding achievements from all four corners of the UK -  there’s top awards in over a dozen categories   The Venue – The HRA 2026 Annual Awards evening is at Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Llandudno, North Wales. (For those wishing to stay overnight, there’s plenty of hotel and guest house accommodation in Llandudno)

Timetable

• From 5pm - guests arrive and drinks reception
• From 6:45pm - guests take their seats followed by brief intros and dinner
• From 8:40pm - coffee and short comfort break
• From 9pm - headline speaker
• 9:15pm - presentation of HRA Annual Awards 2026 
• 10:30pm - entertainment until late

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The awards

Steam Locomotive Award

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Awarded for a significant and high-quality restoration or recreation of a steam locomotive or self-propelled steam powered rail vehicle. 

Shortlisted:

• Watercress Line Bulleid’ ‘Merchant Navy’ Class ‘Pacific’ No. 35005 Canadian Pacific 
• Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways former South African Railways ‘NG15’ Class 2-8-2 No. 134
•  West Somerset Railway Barclay fireless locomotive Boots No. 1 
• Telford Steam Railway 2ft gauge Telford Town Tram.

Diesel and Electric Award

Awarded for a significant and high-quality restoration or recreation of a diesel or electric locomotive, multiple unit or self-propelled diesel or electric powered rail vehicle including trams and funiculars. 

Shortlisted:

• Great Central Railway Class 27 No. 27056
• Isle of Wight Steam Railway based Class 03 No. 03179 Clive
• Chasewater Railway Motor Rail Simplex pair Morris and Ubique
• Middleton Railway Hunslet 0-4-0 diesel mechanical works No. 1786 of 1935 

Rolling Stock Award

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Awarded for a significant and high-quality restoration or recreation of a carriage, wagon, piece of hauled rolling stock or assemblage of rolling stock to a specific theme. This includes light rail or funicular vehicles that are not self-propelled.  

Shortlisted:

• Talyllyn Railway replica gunpowder van built by the line's young members group
• Severn Valley Railway conversion of Great Western Railway carriage into accessible buffet car No. 9581
• Bala Lake Railway replica Penrhyn saloon carriage
• Bluebell Railway restoration of Southern Railway ‘Hastings’ line brake carriage No. 3687.

Station of the Year Award

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Awarded to an operational station or halt on an HRA member railway, tramway or funicular for excellence in restoration or maintenance, customer service, facilities, and attention to detail. 

Shortlisted:

• Cambrian Heritage Railways Oswestry station 
• West Somerset Railway Blue Anchor station 
• North Norfolk Railway Sherringham station 
•  Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Seathorne Bank station 

Infrastructure Award

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Awarded to an HRA member organisation who has completed an outstanding infrastructure project. The infrastructure project could include trackwork, signalling, ground works, structures, buildings, or any combination of them.

Shortlisted: 

• National Railway Museum refurbishment and reinterpretation of Station Hall in York 
• Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway ‘predict and prevent’ asset management 
• Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway ‘Independent Line’ project
• Peak Rail traditional locomotive watering facility. 

Achievement of the Year Award

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Awarded to any HRA member organisation (including rolling stock groups, charities and trusts) or individual that has delivered a significant achievement during the last 12-months. The achievement could be (but is not limited to) an event, business success, major milestone or any combination of these. 

Shortlisted:

• North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group replacement of a cylinder on their ‘Q6’ locomotive
• Seaton Tramway new Jurassic Discovery attraction 
• Downpatrick and County Down Railway ‘Moyexit’ rescue of four diesel locomotives
• Vale of Rheidol Railway ‘Collection X’ project
• Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways the interpretation and restoration of Boston Lodge.

Event of the Year Award

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Awarded to any HRA member organisation (including rolling stock groups, charities and trusts) or individual that has delivered an outstanding event during the last 12-months. For example, this could be a family event, a historical recreation, or an enthusiast focussed event. 

Shortlisted:

• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Railway Children Theatre Show
• Hampton and Kempton Waterworks Railway Railway 200 event
• Talyllyn Railway Awdry Extravaganza
• Bluebell Railway Railway 200 events
• Tanfield Railway 300^th anniversary celebrations.

Innovation of the Year Award

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This award recognises a significant innovation in the heritage rail world. That innovation could be within fields such as business, fundraising, environmental performance, projects, events or initiatives that have delivered significant positive changes to a heritage rail organisation. 

Shortlisted:

• Kent and East Sussex Railway gaming train
• Middleton Railway for the introduction of an almoner role
• Severn Valley Railway Boogie Lights Express train
• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway The Christmas Carol theatre production.

Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer of the Year Award

Awarded to a volunteer under the age of 26, for significant achievement and development.  

Shortlisted:

• Samuel Jones from the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
• Ben Wilson from the Tanfield Railway
• Jamie Taylor from the Fife Heritage Railway
• Shea McKee from the Downpatrick and County Down Railway

Rising Star Award

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This award recognises newcomers to heritage rail who have made a significant impact. They could be future leaders, they may have conceived and led innovations, changes or improvement, or they could be an apprentice or trainee who are clearly demonstrating commitment. They must have joined the heritage rail sector within the past 10-years. 

Shortlisted:

• Downpatrick and County Down Railway compliance officer, Christopher McCausland
• Watercress Line Education and Outreach Coordinator, Daniel Ball
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway mechanical apprentice, Charlie Bauckham
• Severn Valley Railway project leader Jack Baldwin
• Lynton and Barnstable Railway event and marketing coordinator, Rebecca Paterson.

Team of the Year Award

Awarded to a team or group within an HRA member organisation, for achievement or excellence in their field of work or activity. The group can include staff or volunteers who consistently work together, or who have come together to undertake and complete a specific project.  

Shortlisted: 

• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Catering Team
• Southern Electric Traction Group
• Isle of Wight Steam Railway Events Team
• Great Central Railway-based Heavy Tractor Group

Railway of the Year Award

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Awarded to an HRA member railway, tramway or funicular railway organisation that has achieved and consistently demonstrate excellence in preservation, restoration, engineering, operations, equality, teamwork, business, safety performance, and visitor experience.  

Shortlisted:

• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
• Seaton Tramway
• Tanfield Railway
• Vale of Rheidol Railway 

In addition to the 12 categories available for entries, the Heritage Railway Association has three special awards categories which are only given to exceptional projects and achievements. The Manisty Award for excellence, the Chairman’s Special Award, and the Railway 200 Award. All three are expected to be presented on the evening.

With thanks to our other sponsors for the event ...

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