Volk’s Electric Railway will start running trains for passengers again from Friday, March 30.
After a year and a half of work and over £1.65 million in investment the 135 year old train will carry passengers along Brighton seafront between its new Visitor Centre, workshop and Black Rock station.
To celebrate the start of a new chapter in Volk’s history, news reader and volunteer train driver Nicholas Owen will officially open the line.
Visitors can also take part in creative workshops on the day and throughout the Easter weekend. Whether you’d rather decorate a top hat, make a Morse code machine or take part in a drawing tour of the seaside architecture you can learn something new on your journey.
Train tickets and drop in workshop places can be purchased on the day of travel, bookable family workshop tickets are available from volksrailway.org.uk
The new Aquarium Station Visitor Centre will house exhibits and learning about the history of the railway and its founder Magnus Volk who built the railway in 1883. Magnus was a prolific inventor and designer who also created the ‘Daddy Longlegs’ which ran along tracks on the seabed, from Banjo Groyne to Rottingdean, powered by overhead electric cables.
The new conservation workshop houses a working model showing the railway as it was in 1933 and has a public viewing gallery where visitors can watch the trains being worked on.
Alan Robins, chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s tourism, development and culture committee, said: “It will be great to have the Volk’s back on its tracks, it’s such a well-loved part of Brighton’s seafront; the seaside vista from the train is something to celebrate in itself.
“Magnus Volk was an amazing local inventor and the new workshop and visitor centre are ideal places to learn more about his life and the workings of his trains.”
A round trip of the railway takes around 30 minutes
Opening times:
Monday-Friday 10.30am-5.30pm.
Saturday-Sunday 10.30am-6.30pm.
Train times:
Monday-Friday 10.30am-5.30pm.
Saturday-Sunday 10.30am-6.30pm.
Trains approx. every 15 minutes.
To book workshop places visit the website on www.volksrailway.org.uk
Prices – For a full list of ticket and workshop prices visit www.volksrailway.org.uk