Cliff Railway gets a spruce up but delay into reopening continues

While one section of the wall has now been repaired, work is yet to start on an second section that needs to be fixed before the attraction can open safely.

Bridgnorth Town Council are awaiting the signature from the operator of the railway to authorise the works.

Owner of the Railway Malvern Tipping said the delay is due to his insurer's solicitor needing the time to review the documents.

He said: "The wall diverts away from the Cliff Railway at an angle and is nowhere near the Cliff Railway property. Yet, it is the issue of signing off paperwork with respect to that section which has caused weeks of delay.

"We have told the other side [Bridgnorth Town Council] that they may proceed with the work, but they have refrained from doing so until paperwork, which is in the hands of our insurer’s solicitor, has been signed.

"The legal process is a slow one, which means that we need to allow it to run at its own pace. However, this case becomes ever more frustrating for us, because the longer this case goes on, the more the Cliff Railway will be depleted of reserves, which in turn places the viability of its future under greater stress.

"We are anxious that the works to the Town Council’s retaining wall are now completed expeditiously so that we shall be able to re-open and our staff may then resume their places."

He added that in meantime, the Cliff Railway’s manager and engineer have continued with maintenance and have been decorating the stations in readiness for the the re-opening.

Mr Tipping said: "During the forced closure, the Cliff Railway’s manager, Karl Braden, and its engineer, Barry Evans, have been redecorating the stations when not undertaking routine engineering maintenance.

"The top station ticket office has been undergoing a complete refurbishment. The ticket booth has been painted green, whereas it was previously brown, but in keeping with its art nouveau heritage.

"I am so pleased that the Cliff Railway’s manager, Karl, has replaced the old strip lighting with something much more suitable for the period.

"He has replaced it with copper piping and electric bulbs which look as though they had come straight out of the late Victorian era.

"They very much resemble what one sees in the carriages at the railway museum at the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway close to where I live. I am sure that this upgrade will appeal to local passengers and tourists alike."