We are pleased to award a grant to the Friends of Goostrey Station to support their project to install toilet facilities in the historic 1891 LNWR platform building. This will make it easier for them to run community engagement events at the station which is now an art studio,

The restoration of the crane at Glenfinnan was supported many years ago by the RHT - it was originally at Ladybank.

A great day in the Highlands at Glenfinnan after an NRHA plaque unveiling event, talking to the Friends of the WHL about their aspirations for Arisaig and with the Glenfinnan Station Team about quality issues and workmanship relating to recent work done at the station.

We recently awarded Network Rail a grant to restore and repaint the facade shield on Grade II listed Lancaster Station. The coat of arms contains elements associated with the city and 'Luck to Loynee' is the city motto, a traditional blessing associated with the River Lune.

To Hebden Bridge this morning to discuss a possible project in the station building which we will support with a grant. Station looking lovely; also a chance to see work in progress to convert the signal box into a holiday let & heritage centre by @cvclt1.bsky.social

We're pleased the Gordon & Union St entrances to Glasgow Central will re-open on 13 July. But we think the Argyle St entrance is best - it has this wonderful new tiled artwork for which we gave a grant - a reproduction of a Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh advert for Drooko umbrellas.

We held our Board Meeting today in Bury St Edmunds combining it with a closer look at some of the finest stations in the country. We’d love to see more effort to get them occupied and with a more sustainable future. There’s good work being done elsewhere in the route area but more needed here.

A great pleasure to speak about the work of the RHT at the AGM of the Betjeman Society in Great Malvern today, in the former station hotel, known as the Imperial, and currently Malvern St James school. The spirit of JB runs through all our work. Had to pop into the station too.

While I was there some Alstom employees were doing a sponsored pull of a locomotive - excellent work!

A visit to the GWS at Didcot Railway Centre today to discuss a grant for their Grade II engine shed restoration project. It’s a unique structure still owned by Network Rail and follows on from our support for their coal stage restoration.

Surprisingly this Charles Holden masterpiece is not listed. It draws inspiration from the Moscow Metro. The London Passenger Transport Bd had provide advice to them in the 1930s. I especially like the roundel tiles.

One of the pleasures of my job is talking about our work supporting railway heritage projects. Last Friday I was in N London talking to some of the residents of a care home - what a lovely group of people they were too! It also gave me the chance to arrive at Gants Hill Station.

I got off the train in Lanark and was sorry to see the Pl 2 building still empty. We gave a grant to Network Rail to restore it. I think Scotrail wanted to get a commercial tenant, but I think that's unlikely - would it not be better to let it to a local community organisation?

On my way, I changed trains in Motherwell, not much railway heritage there but a fine overbridge carrying Muir St, not listed but with a maker's plaque showing it was made by James Goodwin -homegrown product!

Here’s Bonnington Power Station, the first major hydro electric power plant to provide electricity for domestic use, just up river from the New Lanark World Heritage Site.

With my National Railway Heritage Award Trustee hat on, I helped unveil National Highways' NRHA award plaque for their restoration of Bonnington overrbridge near Lanark, built by the Caledonian Railway in 1863. The judges commented on the high quality of the restoration work especially the welding.

The RHT is proud to support #CommunityRailWeek this week. It celebrates amazing work happening across community rail, often involving the restoration and re-use of railway heritage. To find out more and get involved: communityrail.org.uk

Designed by celebrated engineer Robert Stephenson, and brought into use in 1851, the Rewley Road Swing Bridge is thought to be the earliest surviving moving-element railway bridge in the world. Do visit if you've never been, it's a remarkable award-winning structure.

Our friends at Oxford Preservation Trust are organising a drop-in event & guided walks on Wed 20 May to celebrate the 175th anniversary of one of Oxford's most remarkable pieces of Victorian engineering which we are proud to have supported in its restoration over a number of years.

Norwood Junction has another claim to fame but I didn’t get a chance to do any sleuthing into that.

They’ve also created a waiting room as a homage to Conan Doyle’s case whose plot relies on various train timings from the stations, and have refurbished the toilets in a heritage style. We think Sherlock Holmes would approve, although obviously he couldn’t smoke his pipe in there.

The game is afoot, Watson! It’s the Case of the Norwood Builder, where Arriva Rail London and TFL have reinstated a facade similar to the historic original, but in GRP, at Norwood Junction. We gave a grant and we were pleased to visit today & see it finished. Moriarty was nowhere to be seen.

And interesting RHT connection - the late Sir Neil Cossons, whose death we reported recently, & who was a member of our Advisory Panel, started his working life as a ‘Saturday boy’ at the station. I think he would be pleased at all that’s been done here recently.

Pleased to attend the celebration of the completion of work at Beeston nr Nottingham with EMR MD Will Rogers, Network Rail EM Route Director Mark Budden & local MP Juliet Campbell plus the brilliant Friends of the Station. We gave 2 grants to support the recent work.

Always a pleasure to visit Edge Hill cutting with @lmrailway.bsky.social, Liverpool City Council & @networkrail.bsky.social to discuss de-vegetation - I learn something new every time, & notice something different - today it was a date carving from 1846. A very special & surprisingly tranquil place.

The tide's turned at Heighington on the route of the former S&DR. The 1st visible restoration works by the Friends of the S&DR have started - stabilising & rebuilding 3 chimneys. One's completed, one still to do & one in progress. Got up close to see the work earlier today.

My heart jumped when I saw the original weighbridge….and the original Pooley scales - and they were even gifted the last station master’s cap.

At an NRHA winner’s plaque unveiling yesterday at the former Ebberston Station, N Yorks. Carol & Mark Benson have (re)created a period NER country station as a holiday let. They also have 3 MkII coaches where you can stay - attention to detail is impeccable.

And exclusive content for Blue Sky of the clock faces - the team that restored this practiced on Big Ben before coming to Scarborough!

Here’s a before and after on the restoration to the finial. Definitely a strong entry for the National Railway Heritage Awards this year.