Tycoon John Caudwell to build railway around his £10m country mansion

Billionaire John Caudwell, who founded mobile giant Phones4u before selling it for nearly £1.5 billion, hopes to build the track around his 50-room Jacobean mansion near the Shropshire border later this year.

The 62-year-old has been granted planning permission to build the narrow gauge railway which will circle his Grade I-Listed Broughton Hall, near Eccleshall.

The line will run through the estate's 28-acre formal gardens and open parkland and will be used to take the tycoon's family and friends round the expansive grounds.

The railway will echo the design of a similar attraction at nearby Weston Park.

The three-mile track will take guests past the estate's tennis court and indoor swimming pool, through the large gardens and then round the parkland attached to the property.

His agent Albert Maiden said: "This is a private residence so it will be for the enjoyment of family and friends only and will not be open to the public."

The application was granted on December 22 and will also include an outbuilding to protect the train when it is not in use.

Bizarrely, the building will also provide shelter for 18 cows which graze on the land. The application has been approved by Stafford Borough Council. Mr Caudwell, a father-of-five, is currently ranked as the 464th richest person in the world, and the 13th wealthiest in the UK.

The philanthropist's net worth is estimated to be about £2 billion.

As well as his railway development he also hopes to convert his £85 million five-storey home in Mayfair, London, into a £250 million "super mansion".

Eccleshall Parish Council confirmed it had not received any objections to the proposals.

Peter Jones, Conservative councillor for Eccleshall, said: "Mr Caudwell obviously seems to be a bit of a light railway enthusiast."

Planners at Stafford Borough Council passed the railway plan with conditions.