Downpatrick Volunteers Scoop Wins at UK-Wide Heritage Railway Awards
One again the volunteers at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway scoop top UK awards.
Volunteers from the Downpatrick & County Down Railway have been recognised at the prestigious Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards, the sector’s flagship event often described as the “Oscars” of the heritage railway world.
The awards ceremony took place at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, North Wales, bringing together more than 300 representatives from heritage railways and preservation groups across the UK and Ireland.
This year’s competition was the most competitive yet, with a record 110 entries submitted across categories covering engineering, restoration projects, visitor experience and volunteer achievement. Entries were assessed by an expert judging panel chaired by the National Railway Museum.
Despite competing against some of the largest heritage railways in Britain, the volunteer-run railway in Downpatrick secured recognition across three categories.
Christopher McCausland won the Rising Star of the Year award, recognising emerging leaders in the heritage railway sector.
Volunteer Shea McKee was Highly Commended in the national Young Volunteer of the Year category, while the railway’s joint project with the Irish Traction Group, the “Moyexit” rescue of four historic diesel locomotives from Moyasta in County Clare, was also Highly Commended in the Achievement of the Year category.
Downpatrick & County Down Railway Chairman Robert Gardiner said the results were a tribute to the strength of the railway’s volunteer team.
“Once again Downpatrick has triumphed in the people categories, which reflects our commitment to fostering and nurturing new talent while recognising volunteers who go above and beyond,” he said.
“For a small volunteer railway in Northern Ireland to be recognised alongside some of the biggest organisations in the heritage railway sector shows that our wee railway can stand toe-to-toe with some of the major industry players.”
He added that the recognition was particularly meaningful as the railway continues its recovery following the devastating floods that struck the site in 2023.
“These awards recognise the extraordinary work done by volunteers across the heritage railway movement. To see our volunteers recognised on a national stage again means a great deal, particularly as the railway continues to rebuild after the floods.”
The latest honours follow a series of major recognitions for the volunteer-run organisation.
The Downpatrick & County Down Railway recently received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour given to volunteer groups in the UK, and was also named Social Enterprise of the Year at the Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Awards in 2024.
Together, these accolades reflect the impact of the railway’s volunteers in preserving Northern Ireland’s railway heritage while creating a major visitor attraction and community asset in Downpatrick.
