THE boss of the Welsh Highland and Festiniog Railways has made an appeal for heritage and tourist railways in Wales to have the same support as similar railways receive in England.

Paul Lewin, who is the General Manger of both lines, which run between Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog, said: “We and other heritage railways are a large part of the tourist industry in Wales and to date we feel that we've been unfairly overlooked.”

The Railways contribute £25 million annually to the local economy, and attract a large number of tourists to North Wales. They normally employ around 90 permanent staff, but have been forced to make a third redundant.

Mr Lewin said: “The grant we have received, whilst welcome, is insignificant compared to the £5m shortfall from this year. Our counterparts in England have been able to benefit from far more generous support from the Government in Westminster, with some similar railways receiving up to £2m in grant funding.

"We have cut our costs as much as is practically possible, however we need further funding if we're to be able to operate by Easter 2021.”

The Festiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow gauge railway with almost 200 years of history. It runs for more than 13 miles from the harbour in Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The Welsh Highland Railway is the UK’s longest heritage railway and extends 25 miles from Caernarfon, past the foot of Snowdon, through the stunning Aberglaslyn Pass and on to Porthmadog.