TRANSPORT minister Theresa Villiers will make tracks to a Dorset heritage railway to officially open a new signal box.
She will visit the Swanage Railway tomorrow for the ceremony at Corfe Castle before travelling on a steam train down the relaid Purbeck line.
The signal box will enable regular trains to travel onto the main line towards Wareham, a dream of Swanage Railway volunteers since the line was rebuilt.
It will be connected to Network Rail’s signalling centre once the £33million Poole to Wool re-signalling scheme is complete next year.
The signal box was built at Corfe Castle station in 2008 costing £48,000.
It was made to look like an original Victorian box which had stood on the same site and won a heritage award.
Corfe Castle signal box project manager Mike Whitwam said: “We’re delighted the Minister of State for Transport has accepted our invitation to open the new Corfe Castle signal box.
“It’s a tremendous honour and an acknowledgement of the signal box’s importance as part of the re-instatement of regular passenger trains between Swanage and Wareham.”
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