Network Rail volunteers to fix Wicksteed Park train tracks

The national rail company are carrying out the work for free
Network Rail are helping to restore Wicksteed Park's famous train tracks for freeNetwork Rail are helping to restore Wicksteed Park's famous train tracks for free
Network Rail are helping to restore Wicksteed Park's famous train tracks for free

Wicksteed Park's famous railway will be ready for passengers soon as it is being repaired and restored for free by Network Rail.

Around 20 volunteers from Network Rail, a government body which owns and manages most of the country's railway network, will start work on Wicksteed's tracks this week.

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Ben Darling, Network Rail's distribution and plant section manager for the East Midlands route, lives in Kettering and answered Wicksteed Charitable Trust's call for volunteers to help out in the park after its operating company went into administration.

Ben Darling from Network Rail volunteered to help restore Wicksteed Park's train tracksBen Darling from Network Rail volunteered to help restore Wicksteed Park's train tracks
Ben Darling from Network Rail volunteered to help restore Wicksteed Park's train tracks

Ben said: "I’m proud of my colleagues at Network Rail for helping to support the Wicksteed Charitable Trust.

"We are pleased to be using our experience on the railway to repair this track and get the train running again this summer.

"As a local resident, the Wicksteed Park railway project means a lot to me and I'd like to thank everyone with their help so far."

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The work should be completed within a few days and it is hoped passengers will be able to board the train again soon.

20 volunteers are working on the tracks20 volunteers are working on the tracks
20 volunteers are working on the tracks

The train has not been running since lockdown forced the park to close and pushed Wicksteed Park Limited into administration.

Lee Scragg, managing director of Wicksteed Park's new streamlined company, Wicksteed Trading, said: "Over the last few weeks we have been incredibly grateful for all the donations and offers of help that the park has received as we begin the process of rebuilding for the future.

"As we are a much-streamlined company with very restricted income at the moment, much of what has been achieved would have been impossible without the help of volunteers.

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"We are incredibly grateful to Ben and his team, as without them we would not have been able to complete this work and get the trains which people love so much up and running again so quickly."

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