Still no reopening date for the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway

Bridgnorth's rare inland funicular railway, which has been closed since just before Christmas when problems were found with a wall beside the line, seems no nearer reopening. 

A report in the Shropshire Star earlier this month said:

While one section of the wall has now been repaired, work is yet to start on an second section that needs to be fixed before the attraction can open safely.

Bridgnorth Town Council are awaiting the signature from the operator of the railway to authorise the works.

Owner of the Railway Malvern Tipping said the delay is due to his insurer's solicitor needing the time to review the documents.

He said: "The wall diverts away from the Cliff Railway at an angle and is nowhere near the Cliff Railway property. Yet, it is the issue of signing off paperwork with respect to that section which has caused weeks of delay.

Malvern Tipping also told the Star:

"The legal process is a slow one, which means that we need to allow it to run at its own pace. However, this case becomes ever more frustrating for us, because the longer this case goes on, the more the Cliff Railway will be depleted of reserves, which in turn places the viability of its future under greater stress.

"We are anxious that the works to the Town Council’s retaining wall are now completed expeditiously so that we shall be able to re-open and our staff may then resume their places."

It's worth pointing out again that this railway isn't just a tourist attraction: it also an important amenity for local residents.

And Malvern Tipping had some good news:

"The top station ticket office has been undergoing a complete refurbishment. The ticket booth has been painted green, whereas it was previously brown, but in keeping with its art nouveau heritage.

"I am so pleased that the Cliff Railway’s manager, Karl, has replaced the old strip lighting with something much more suitable for the period.

"He has replaced it with copper piping and electric bulbs which look as though they had come straight out of the late Victorian era.

"They very much resemble what one sees in the carriages at the railway museum at the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway close to where I live. I am sure that this upgrade will appeal to local passengers and tourists alike."