Bridgnorth Cliff Railway on track to reopen next month

Scaffolding on the site came down in November but the railway is yet to reopen

Bridgnorth's famous cliff railway may reopen next month after almost a year of closure.

It stopped taking passengers in December 2022 after damage was discovered to a retaining wall, owned by the town council.

Dr Malvern Tipping, the railway's owner, said it passed a safety inspection on Friday and preparations are under way for journeys to resume.

He said he was "so relieved" to be close to reopening.

Works to repair a wall were completed in November at a cost of about £750,000.

Bridgnorth Town Council has had to raise council tax after borrowing £500,000 to complete the work.

The closure of the railway, which connects Low Town to High Town, also led to 14 redundancies and is believed to have affected businesses in the town over the last year.

One of the oldest and steepest funicular railways in the UK, it has operated for more than 100 years and transports people 34m (111ft) down the cliffside.

Bridgnorth Cliff Railway is one of the country's oldest and steepest inland funicular railways

Mr Tipping said: "We are now working towards opening February.

"We are still tweaking and getting things ready.

"There are a few things we want to do to get it right and ready for the public and make sure we are satisfied everything is running correctly."

The lower station, he said, has been affected by a sewage leak which needs to be resolved.

He said former staff were "biting at the bit" to return to work.

Bridgnorth Town Council was responsible for repairs to the retaining wall

"It has been a big concern for us and a real worry," Mr Tipping added.

"I was doubtful we would ever be able to reopen because of the challenges we faced, but we are looking much more positive.

"I am so relieved we will be able to open."