Rushden railway enthusiasts left counting the cost after train carriage blaze

Rushden railway enthusiasts have been left counting the cost after a suspected arson attack destroyed one train carriage and badly damaged another in a blaze, rendering one ‘beyond salvage’.

The destroyed carriage was to be sold, which would have raised around £15,000 for the volunteer-run group.

Robert Smith managing director of The Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway confirmed that one of the carriages that was under offer of sale had been ‘totally destroyed’.

Fires have been set before by vandals but this time the blaze wasn’t found until it was too late.

He said: “In the past we have spotted the fires and put them out. The carriages are in out of the way places.

"One of them is a total wreck, the other that was a mobile workshop is in extremely poor condition now.

"We caught them on camera at about 5.50pm quite some distance away so we can’t prove anything.

“I’m feeling stoical. It’s very frustrating. We were looking to bring in three new vehicles. It’s a set back but we will keep going. If we cease to run the railway, it would close.

“We just keep going.”

Staff became aware of the fire at approximately 6pm on Wednesday (April 17) in a Mark I carriage, which is not used for passenger running, whilst the site was closed to the public.

No volunteers or staff were present on the railway at the time the fire started, with members of the public calling the emergency services. By 8pm the fire was extinguished, and fire services remained on site overnight and into the morning to ensure the site was safe and to undertake an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Trains on the half-mile stretch of track only reach 10mph but still attract many families to ride along the former Rushden to Thrapston track remnant, hosting regular activities like the upcoming ‘Ploughman’s on the Pacer’ for Fathers Day on June 16 and regular quiz nights.

The insurance for the track costs in the region of £20,000, paid for by events throughout the year.

A Rushden Historical Transport Society spokesperson added: “It is regretfully understood that the fire was started deliberately and the police have issued a request for anybody to contact them with information and footage from the area around the time of the incident to assist with their enquiries and investigation.“Thankfully, no injuries have been reported, but the carriage itself is beyond salvage.“The trustees of Rushden Historical Transport Society would like to thank the efforts of Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service and of Northamptonshire Police for their work, and for their assistance in making the site safe.”