CLWYD SOUTH MP Simon Baynes welcomed the co-chair of the Conservative Party and UK Government Minister, Rt Hon Amanda Milling MP, to Llangollen Railway earlier this week.

Mrs Milling’s visit came as part of her Levelling Up Tour – during which she is visiting areas which are part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda to provide jobs and opportunities across the whole of the UK.

Llangollen Railway are part of an area bid for Levelling Up funding to help create opportunity and economic prosperity in Clwyd South.

As part of the visit, Mr Baynes and Mrs Milling met with volunteers on the platform at Llangollen and took a train from Llangollen to Berwyn Station and back again on which the driver was John Joyce and the guard was Matt Carty.

During the visit, they also met with Paul Reynolds (Operations Manager), Bob Creasey (Secretary to the Board), Phil Freeth (Finance Director), Mike Williams, Tom Taylor (Advisor to the Board).

Overall, there are 600 active volunteers helping the Llangollen Railway including a fast-growing youth group.

Amanda Milling MP, said: "It was brilliant to visit Llangollen Railway as part of my Levelling Up tour of the United Kingdom.

“It was great to hear about the work that the volunteers do for the railway and the tourists that enjoy visiting.

“Levelling up our country is a key mission of this Conservative government to help improve communities across the country.

“I wish Simon and the team at Llangollen the best of luck with their area levelling up bid which I know would help create opportunity and economic prosperity in the area.”

Simon Baynes MP said: "It was a great pleasure to welcome Amanda Milling MP to Llangollen and to showcase the amazing work of our volunteers in bringing the railway back into action after so many months. It was a pleasure to meet again with everyone involved on the platform and to make a special journey between Llangollen and Berwyn and back with the Conservative Party Chairman.

"It was also a very valuable opportunity for me to stress the benefits of UK Government investment for our communities in Clwyd South which would benefit massively following the Covid-19 pandemic and would help unlock the potential of our young people by bringing in new jobs and opportunities. I will continue to make the case for our area to receive Levelling Up funding, and I look forward to working with UK Government Ministers to advance our case over the coming months."