Tourist attraction wins Railway of the Year award

Lappa Valley's owners said it was a "very special place to so many people"

A Cornish tourist attraction has been named the UK's Railway of the Year in the Heritage Railway Awards.

Lappa Valley's award recognises "excellence and innovation" in heritage railway operations.

Owner Sara Southwell said Lappa Valley was a "very special place to so many people, and we are pleased to share this award with our entire team".

Last year, the tourist attraction at St Newlyn East near Newquay converted one of its 13 locomotives, Victoria, from diesel to battery power to save money and cut its carbon footprint.

Victoria, which runs on the attraction's smallest railway, was converted to electric power by the Lynch Motor Company in Honiton, Devon.

"Victoria can now run for two days on a single charge, completing up to 400 laps of the Lakeside Railway," said operations manager Ben Harding.