The recent lifting of remaining Covid restrictions, combined with the continued popularity of ‘staycation’ holidays, looks set to provide a welcome boost for heritage tramways this summer.

Visitors to some of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions can now look forward to a packed programme of activities as operators announce details of their plans for the coming months, members of the UKTram Heritage Group have reported.

Among the systems leading the way will be Seaton Tramway in Devon, which recently scooped the prestigious ‘Outstanding Visitor Attraction’ at the recent Heritage Railway Association annual awards.

The 2ft 9in gauge tramway’s entry demonstrated the huge amount of digital work that has been carried out over the past year, as well as a real attention to detail when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Crich Tramway Museum was also shortlisted for the accolade, and the strong showing by heritage tramways has been praised by James Hammett, Managing Director of UKTram.

“Through the pandemic, these organisations have worked tirelessly to maintain the sector’s rich history and the in the face of difficult operating conditions,” he explained.

“Over the past couple of years, while regular operations have been restricted, they have also focused on wider education projects within their local communities.

“Members of our Heritage Group also reported that support from government and local authorities has been vital to their survival but now they can look forward with renewed confidence as more people look to discover the hidden holiday gems to be found close to home.”

Further details about the Heritage Railway Awards can be found here.