PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Talyllyn Railway and John Bate (9 May 2022)

That this House congratulates the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society who, on May 14th 2022, will celebrate 71 years since the society ran the first train on the Talyllyn Railway; recognises that this marked the start of heritage railways as they are known now, with the Talyllyn Railway being the first volunteer run railway in the world; further recognises that railways are nothing without the people who run them and that John Bate has been invaluable in the work of transforming the Talyllyn railway into the world-class tourist attraction it is today; notes that John started volunteering at the railway in 1951, became the railway’s first full-time Chief Engineer in 1963, a post he occupied until his retirement in 1994, and has continued to support the railway as an active volunteer; commends John for leading the effort to save the railway after a major landslide near Dolgoch damaged the line in 1957; and celebrates the positive impact John has had on both the Talyllyn Railway and on the wider Heritage Rail Sector.

Sponsored by:
Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru)