RBF special raises £17,000 for charity

Rail charity The Railway Benefit Fund’s first ever special train raised more than £17,000 on November 7.

South West Trains 159103 took 270 passengers on a 12-hour tour of London, Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset, starting and finishing at London Waterloo.

Passengers also had a ride on a steam train at Yeovil Railway Centre and travelled to the end of the line at Bournemouth depot. SWT provided its resources free, while the Branch Line Society promoted the train at no charge.

SWT Managing Director and RBF Chairman Tim Shoveller said: “Speaking on behalf of RBF, I thank all those involved in raising the splendid total of £17,315. That includes the Branch Line Society for their all-round support and for marketing the train, and Rail Gourmet who provided an on-train trolley service of food and drink on the day.

“A really big thank you must also go to the passengers who bought souvenirs and raffle tickets on the train. This contributed £1,700 of the incredible total raised.”