The expansion of the National Railway Museum’s Locomotion site in Shildon, the recreation of Brighton ‘Atlantic’ Beachy Head, and the determined bounce back of the Downpatrick and County Down Railway were among the big winners at the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2025.
More than 200 staff and volunteers from scores of railways, tramways and rolling stock groups came together on Tyneside for the awards on Saturday, 8 February. The Railway 200 themed event, sponsored by Fox and Edwards Events, celebrated achievements by railways and tramways right across the UK and featured the largest shortlist ever seen for the awards.
The HRA awards recognise excellence or innovation in almost every aspect of heritage railway and tramway restoration, preservation and operation. Judging is carried out by a panel of 17 experts from the sector, chaired by the National Railway Museum’s Anthony Coulls.
Cornwall’s Lappa Valley Railway picked up the headline Railway of the Year award after judges were impressed by the quality and forward-thinking approach of the attraction that welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year to its 15in, 10 ¼ in and 7 ¼ in gauge railways. Runners up were the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, the North Norfolk Railway and the Vale of Rheidol Railway.
Recently completed Bluebell Railway-based ‘Atlantic’ No. 32424 Beachy Head was the clear winner of the Steam Locomotive Award, sponsored by Paintman Paints. The 25-year project to recreate a lost London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ‘H2’ Class machine that only just evaded preservation wowed judges with its engineering achievements and passion to recreate the distinctive locomotive. All receiving ‘highly commended’ certificates were freshly restored Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 46464, known as ‘The Carmyllie Pilot’, Severn Valley Railway-based Stanier ‘Mogul’ No. 13268, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway ‘2884’ Class 2-8-0 No. 3850, and 2ft gauge Bagnall 0-4-0ST Sybil.
The stunning restoration of London County Council ‘Bluebird’ No. 1 by the Tramway Museum Society at Crich was handed the trophy in the Diesel and Electric Locomotion category. The painstaking 10-year restoration of this historically significant car by the Tramway Museum Society impressed judges with its attention to detail. In a close run field, ‘LCC No. 1’ narrowly pipped Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway Class 20 No. 20 228, Tanfield Railway-based Fowler 0-6-0DH Ribblesdale Cement No. 6 and Seaton Tramways rebuild of Modern Electric Tramways Car No. 23.
The combination of Pullman splendour and a well-executed sensitive adaptation for passengers with reduced mobility meant that the Bluebell Railway was handed the Morgan Award for Rolling Stock. The Sussex line’s work on Pullman Car No. 54 meant that the 1922-built vehicle was the narrow victor in an eclectic field. The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway-based restoration of 1877-built Great Eastern Railway royal saloon No. 8, the Bahamas Locomotive Society breakdown train at the Keighley and Worth Valley, and the Ffestiniog Railway’s recreated carriage truck were all highly commended in the category.
The amazing transformation of Aberystwyth’s former standard gauge locomotive shed into the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s new museum took top honours in the Infrastructure Award. The quality of the work and the transformative results it delivered to the V of R’s visitor offer impressed judges … as did the buildings exquisite wooden block floor. Highly commended in the category were the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway’s Bridge 27 renewal project at Haworth, the Gwili Railway’s Abergwili Junction extension project and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s work on Stanway Viaduct.
The new Achievement of the Year category, supported by Wrigleys Solicitors, generated the largest number of entries for any single category giving judges a tough time to select a winner. For what is believed to be the first time in over a decade at the HRA Awards, a ‘joint’ winner was decided upon; honours being shared between the Downpatrick and County Down Railway for their recovery from devastating floods, and the Severn Valley Railway for their pioneering partnership with Network Rail. The East Lancashire Railway’s hugely successful Santa Specials and the Northampton and Lamport Railway’s Boughton extension were each highly commended.
A high-tech approach to safety was the winner of the Innovation of the Year Award, supported by Railway 200. The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway took the award back to Devon with its work to digitise its safety management in a project that could prove to be a trailblazer for the sector. Runners up were the East Lancashire Railway for their tailored special educational needs and disabilities Santa Specials, and the North Norfolk Railway for their peer support group.
It was a big night for funiculars as Central Tramway in Scarborough were winners of the Marketing and Communications Award. The Victorian cliff railway’s approach to marketing and communications shone with its strategic and measurable approach that generated real business results. The Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway’s marketing campaigns, and the Kent and East Sussex Railway’s Mr Doodle event were both highly commended runners-up.
Another new category for the HRA Awards in 2025 is Station of the Year, supported by Hargreaves Steaming Coals. Clear winner was the Severn Valley Railway’s Eardington Station, a ‘hidden gem’ that has been lovingly restored to 1930s Great Western Railway condition. The award will no-doubt be a welcome boost for the team behind the station, which is currently isolated by a devastating embankment failure at the SVR. Runners up were the twin stations of Lynton and Lynmouth on the famous cliff railway of the same name, and Weybourne station on the North Norfolk Railway.
There was a big win for a local railway in the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer of the Year Award. Elise Campbell from the Tanfield Railway, less than five miles from the awards event, was the outright winner. Judges were impressed with Elise’s dedication in permanent way, versatility, and the fact that she is also using her volunteer experience to kick start a career on the national network as a signaller. Highly commended were Jack Baldwin from the Severn Valley Railway, Aodhan Kavanagh from the Kent and East Sussex Railway, and Alex Raybould from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.
The Rising Star category, supported by PNP Events is designed to celebrate up-and-coming staff and volunteers in heritage rail. The North Norfolk Railway’s Visitor Experience and Marketing Manager Hannah Drury was the narrow victor following a speedy rise from junior staff to become part of the line’s senior management group. Just pipped to the post were Jack Ataou from the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, Luke Ryan from the Talyllyn Railway, and Seb Welsh from the West Somerset Railway.
The Team of the Year Award, supported by We Are Destination Marketing, had a standout winner in the shape of the Downpatrick and County Down Railway’s flood recovery team. Their determined work to reopen the deluge-hit 5ft 3in gauge line from the devastated state floodwaters had left it in really caught the judges attention. Highly commended were the group that reopened the Alford Valley Community Railway in Scotland, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland electrical team known as ‘The E Squad’, and the Watercress Line’s Education and Outreach Team.
Alongside the 12 categories open to nominations from the heritage rail sector each year, the HRA Awards also has two discretionary awards given to outstanding projects or people. This year the winners both had distinct Railway 200 links.
Hopetown Darlington was awarded the ‘Railway 200’ Special Award for the transformation and expansion of Darlington’s railway museum. The historic North Road site in the town, which has long been a focus of Stockton and Darlington Railway heritage, has become a multi-faceted heritage site that also hosts three locomotive groups.
Finally, the Manisty Award for Excellence was awarded to the National Railway Museum in its 50th anniversary year for its expansion of the Locomotion site in Shildon together with the dedicated work of the teams responsible for the moving and care of its collections, and the ongoing transformation of its main site in York.
Heritage Railway Association Chief Executive, Steve Oates, said: “This year, perhaps more than any, the HRA Awards has demonstrated the determination of heritage rail to rise above the constant challenges that our sector faces.
“From the stunning recreation of Beachy Head to the battles against the floodwaters at Downpatrick, this year’s winners show that heritage railway people do astonishing things to make this sector what it is. The first few weeks have shown that the challenges aren’t likely to stop – but this event gives us all the evidence needed that heritage rail will continue to rise to them.
“Congratulations to each and every winner are more than merited. And the runners up should know that this has been the most hotly contested HRA Awards in history so even making the finals is recognition of their achievement.”
Entries for the 2026 Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards are expected to open during Autumn this year.
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