It was a real pleasure recently to welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Heritage Rail to the Watercress Line. This group includes members of both Houses of Parliament who share a passion for heritage railways and seek to support the sector. Among the visitors to Alton were the leader of the Plaid Cymru group in Westminster, Liz Saville-Roberts MP, Viscount Stansgate and Lord Parkinson, and Steve Oates from the Heritage Railway Association.
During the visit, we were treated to a full tour. From the beautifully preserved stations that evoke the golden age of rail, to the engineering sheds and the trains themselves. We even got the chance to stand on the footplate, where the fire is stoked with coal. It gets extremely hot up there!
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. While many may have frustrating stories of modern train delays, the Watercress Line is a wonderful reminder of a bygone era, when the slam of the carriage door signalled your journey had begun. It is a full sensory experience: the sights, the sounds, the smell are all evocative.
Today, the Watercress Line is expertly led by Rebecca Dalley, supported by a very able and creative team, and the hundreds of brilliant volunteers. Rebecca has embarked on raising the profile of the Watercress Line, including through the APPG, and I'm very glad she has.
For locals from Alton, Four Marks, Medstead, Ropley, Alresford and beyond, the sight of the trains, or just the steam rising above the trees, is a lovely moment. There’s extra magic when the steam illuminations are on at Christmas, or when children see ‘Thomas’ passing over the bridge in Alton.
But there is nothing quite like being up close to the locomotives, riding in the old carriages, and taking in the countryside from a gently chugging steam train.
It is a fantastic day out for all ages – whether you’re a serious railway enthusiast or just looking for a memorable experience.
But there’s much more to the Watercress Line than immediately meets the eye.
The railway runs a fantastic educational outreach programme for schools and groups, with curriculum-linked sessions in history, geography, STEM and more. On this occasion I was fascinated to learn about how signalling works – a great lesson in engineering, logic, and human ingenuity.
Children can even experience what it was like to be an evacuee during wartime, complete with identity cards and postcards home, and learn about railway pioneers like Brunel and Stephenson.
Behind the scenes, the Watercress Line is helping to preserve traditional engineering skills. A visit to the workshop shows the painstaking restoration work underway, using age-old techniques such as boiler repairs, sheet metalwork, and historic carriage maintenance.
There are also many ways to get involved. Volunteers play a key role, from maintaining trains and tracks, to helping run the dining car.
The continued success of the Watercress Line is a testament to its enduring appeal - and to the people who keep it running. Long may it continue to steam ahead.
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If you’re interested in joining the team, details of the next volunteer open day can be found at: watercressline.co.uk/volunteer.
