A Christmas message from NDR’s Chairman, Gavin Collins

As 2025 draws to a close I'd like to thank our volunteers, members and all the supporters and visitors who make possible the development and enhancement of the railway and station.   This year we have been able to make significant progress:

Signing a lease for the track bed from the station to Lamb House Bridge, once the council had made repairs, and carrying out the necessary work for the bridge to be signed off to carry the weight of locomotives used on the line in the 1960s.

Completing track laying back from the buffer stop to the station.  Opening a new 46 space car park.  Rebuilding our Brake Van and fitting out for passengers.  Completing restoration of the General Utility Vehicle (GUV).  Repainting the S&DJR lamp hut, repairing and repainting signal posts, and starting work to connect signals and points to the Signal Box.  Installing the refurbished Binegar crane and completing the loading dock.  Completing the restoration and testing of the Wickham Trolley.  And getting Change of Use permission to change from being a museum only, to becoming an Operational Railway with museum.

A big thanks to our volunteers: none of this would be possible without them, and as we grow we’re always on the lookout for new people to join us.  Our dedicated café team is our greatest source of regular funding, but equally vital in feeding and watering the volunteers who are building and running the railway, maintaining the wagons and station infrastructure.  We also have many volunteers behind the scenes working on our planning, fundraising, social media and administration.   If you have a few hours to spare each month, please come to the station, see what's happening and ask to speak with a trustee about opportunities to help NDR to move forward, or contact us via our website. 

Finally, we wish all our volunteers, members, supporters and visitors a very merry Christmas.

NDR Trustees