Aviemores Strathspey Steam Railway reports a great year with revenue figures likely to be the best ever since the railway started operations in 1978. With the December programme of Santa trains and mince pie specials concluding the season the five and half mile steam railway is expecting to be ahead of last years income with ticket and shop sales likely exceed the £300,000 mark for the first time.

The success of this year is being put down to hard work and a positive outlook early in the year when the foot & mouth epidemic threatened to undermine rural tourism. The railway committed itself to taking on seasonal staff and running its published services unless instructed by the authorities to halt operations. Work on the northern extension of the line between Boat of Garten and Broomhill was suspended for a time to minimise any risk of railway workers accidentally spreading foot and mouth.

In a year which saw the official launch into traffic of locomotive 46512 after a 27 year restoration project the railway has continued to make progress on a variety of fronts. Work on the extension restarted in June and track squads carried out resleepering and ballasting along the line throughout the summer with such success that a mainline track machine was hired in for the week beginning 5th November to carry out levelling, lining and packing of the line. As a result of all this work the railway has committed itself to opening the line to Broomhill on the 1st June 2002 .

Broomhill station is used as Glenbogle in the Monarch of the Glen television series and is featured in two scenes in the current series. From the 1st June 2002 the station will see its first regular services since closure took place on the 18th October 1965, a gap of nearly 37 years after the last train ran. The Strathspey Railway has had to rebuild the station buildings at Broomhill as well as constructing four miles of track, repairing a number of bridges in addition to giving attention to 8 miles of fencing. Highland Council had to build a new bridge over the road from Boat of Garten to Nethy Bridge to replace the original bridge demolished for road improvements in the 1970s. Most of the work involved in rebuilding the line has been carried out by volunteers who are looking forward to the First Day of June next year.

A number of tour operators who are major customers of the steam railway have already indicated that they will be undertaking return journeys from Aviemore to Broomhill next year and this bodes well for the success of the railway next year. The railway will continue to be worked on the one engine in steam principle and the round trip will take approximately 90 minutes. During the Thomas event in August trains will only run between Aviemore and Boat of Garten on the Saturdays and Sundays so that more trains can be run during the day (Thomas trains will run to Broomhill Monday to Friday during Thomas week). Santa trains will also keep to the current format of running between Aviemore & Boat of Garten.

For the rest of the year the railway will be concentrating on maintenance and repair of locomotives, carriages and wagons in addition to essential work on the track and progressing the extension. The railway has ceased operating trains for the winter except for the Santa and Christmas/Hogmanay holiday services.

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Enquiries: Strathspey Railway - Ron Black 01389-752214 e.mail: publicity@strathspeyrailway.co.uk