Preserving heritage at risk

Heritage at risk The Ffestiniog Railway, the Flying Scotsman, the Bluebell Line, and 150 or so others contribute £600m a year to the UK economy and employ 4,000 people. Heritage rail is vital for the tourism economy of such towns and villages as Porthmadog, Goathland, and Buckfastleigh, whose railways attract film crews as well as thousands of visitors. But they all consume high-quality steam coal, and the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) is worried that the UK will run out of its reserves before 2025 – the anniversary of the world’s first public steam railway service, the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Shipping coal from South Africa, Australia, Colombia, and the USA results