A NEW Victorian-style railway signal box has scooped a national award for quality.

The brick and wood building at Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway line took a team of volunteers more than three years to build and cost £48,000.

It won the National Railway Heritage Award for Signalling at a ceremony in London. Judges praised the new building – made to look like the original Victorian signal box, which was demolished in 1956, as ‘an achievement of outstanding merit’.

Volunteer Corfe Castle signal box project manager Mike Whitwam said: “This award is a great accolade for everyone who has worked on the signal box which will control trains to Wareham and communicate with Network Rail’s relevant signalling centre.

“The judges praised the excellence of the workmanship, saying the new signal box was striking, eye-catching and formed a very significant visual addition to the station.

“They also praised the quality of the refurbishment and restoration work on the lever frame as being exceptional and a huge achievement, adding that all the new work has been undertaken to a very high standard.”

The award for signalling is the fourth the volunteer-run Swanage Railway has received.