This Press Release has just been published by the Ecckesbourne Valley Railway:
"FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Contact: Neil Ferguson-Lee
Tel. (01629) 822806
Email
[email protected]
TIMETABLE PUBLISHED FOR 2011 REOPENING SERVICE
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMENCE ON 8TH APRIL WITH TICKETS ON SALE FROM FEBRUARY
Wirksworth, 4th January 2011: The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway will reopen the Wirksworth Branch in full to Duffield on Friday, 8th April, 2011, followed by a gala on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th. Tickets for the reopening train will go on sale in early February and be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Prior to the first public train, two days will be devoted to special services for the line’s volunteers and shareholders.
The 2011 timetable has been published and contains an exciting schedule of services and events for the 2011 season. Featuring 76 operating days, the core service provides four services per day from Duffield to Wirksworth, departing from Duffield at 11:10, 13:10, 15:10 and 17:10 and connecting with the East Midlands Trains service from Nottingham to Matlock.
The reopening gala over the first weekend will provide an exciting and intensive service featuring visiting British Railways Class 2MT locomotive no. 78019 and the railway’s rake of vintage carriages which will include a freshly-restored former London Midland & Scottish Railway vehicle that has been under restoration at Wirksworth since 2008. Services will also include the railway’s collection of vintage diesel locomotives and railcars to give a truly spectacular reopening event over the three days.
Locomotive 78019 will be resident at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for over two months and form the core of the events programme alongside Wirksworth-based 0-4-0 ‘Ferrybridge No.3’. The exciting programme includes an Easter Eggstravaganza and May Day Bank Holiday and a series of weekend steam events in April and May.
The full timetable and events programme can be can be downloaded from the following location:
http://www.e-v-r.com/documents/2011leafletweb.pdf
All dates are subject to final approval by the appropriate regulatory authorities."
As I said I will keep you up to date as information is released.
Best wishes,
John H-T.