Good reviews for Nene valley Railway as Thomas trips prove popular

The attraction had been closed since March as the railway was hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, with 18 of the 20 staff placed on furlough and appeals for donations made.

Fortunately, the railway was given a £47,000 National Lottery Heirtage Fund grant to allow it to continue its operations and last weekend saw the long-awaited return of the popular Thomas trips.

The attraction opened at 10am last Saturday with the Thomas train taking passengers between Wansford and Yarwell.

Several measures were put in place to ensure the return happened safely with visitors asked to pre book, and when doing so were given their own compartment in the train.

Refreshments were available from a kiosk rather than the usual open bar, only contactless payment was accepted and one way systems were in operation at stations.

Anyone wishing to book a ride on Thomas can do so as the service will run again between Wansford and Yarwell and Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9. There will be limited trips on Wednesday August 12 and the follwing weekend, when the service will run again but only between Wansford and Peterborough.

Nene Valley Railway has been awarded the Visit England We’re Good to Go certification and new safety measures include:

- A ‘one-way, system in operation.

- Hand sanitising stations set up around the station,

- Many posters and increased signage giving directions to customers to wear masks on the train and in the shop and to stay socially distant to others,

- A new auto seating allocation system has been added to the online ticketing system to ensure social distancing is achieved on the train

- The purchase of two new toilets which are located near to the car park

A spokesman at NVR said: “We were ready to open our doors again, with Thomas leading the way. Thomas was joined by lots of happy customers young and old, on his journeys to Yarwell and back, 5 trains ran on both Saturday and Sunday, each of which ran at no more than 50 per cent capacity to ensure social distancing could be adhered to at all times.

“It was a real family affair and the hustle and bustle (all socially distanced) was a joy to hear.

“We are running the same Thomas service this Saturday and Sunday (five trains on each day) and three trains on Wednesday 12th. Tickets can be purchased online via our website https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/173/thomas-re-opens-the-nvr

“From August 15 we will be commencing journeys from Wansford to Peterborough NVR (all journeys are return journeys at the moment due to regular cleaning of the trains, from our Volunteer Cleaning Crew). We look forward to welcoming customers old and new back to Nene Valley Railway.”

The attraction has attracted strong reviews on the Tripadvisor website, including these posts:

Thomas Ride: “A fantastic family day. The drivers were great and really helped make the day extra special for the children by answering questions and sharing experiences with them. Staff on the platform communicated well with the children and made them feel like VIPs. The event was organised very well. We felt safe throughout the day with a one way system and social distancing in place.”

Great trains: “A lovely little railway with friendly staff and it is well kept with the current pandemic.

Kids loved the trains and enjoyed waving.”