Barnsley heritage railway could reopen as part of £25m plan

Plans include a railway college, outdoor performance area, restaurant and cycle hire centre

A heritage railway could reopen as part of a £25m plan to transform a disused ironworks into a visitor attraction.

Elsecar Heritage Centre in Barnsley would also feature a new rail college and an outdoor events centre.

Volunteers reopened a one-mile (1.6 km) section of track in 1996, but it closed during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

Barnsley Council said the reopened line would offer rides on a reconstructed steam train from 1849, powered by sustainable fuels.

The rail line and other infrastructure would be used by the college, which aims to train 400 people a year in track engineering.

According to a background document, the scheme could create 40 new jobs and support another 200 roles.

Barnsley Council has been working on the initiative with Historic England, as the site is designated a scheduled ancient monument.

The volunteer-run heritage railway operated between 1996 and 2020

Council leader Sir Stephen Houghton said some money had already been secured from the Cultural Development Fund to start work on the site.

He added the rest of the redevelopment would "not happen straight away".

"We're determined to transform this remarkable historic site, previously the home of Elsecar Heritage Railway, into something which is unique, sustainable and will thrive long into the future," he said.

"We need to secure funding and it will take time to deliver, but this vision is the starting point for something very special for Elsecar."

Other facilities planned for the site include an outdoor performance area, public spaces, a restaurant and a cycle hire centre.

The railway was opened in 1850 to transport iron and coal from the village mines. It shut in 1984 when the last colliery closed.