Sabotage suspected in Poole Park Railway derailment

The iconic and much-loved Poole Park Railway, which reopened only last week for trials, faced another setback on Saturday when its new train derailed.

Railway officials confirmed that the derailment was caused by debris on the line and that, thankfully, no-one was hurt. The attraction reopened to the public yesterday.

A spokesperson for the railway said: “It was so sad. The track is checked every morning and we’d been running since 9am, all fine. Whilst we were back at the station picking up new passengers, just after 2pm, we think someone placed stones into the double tracks on the hard corner; it’s highly unlikely they got there by themselves. The stones can’t be seen by the driver and as he went over them the locomotive derailed. Only the locomotive part, the carriages full of passengers were fine.

“Because it’s on a hard corner, the train goes very slowly, so luckily no-one was hurt. We had to close the railway after that, which was such a shame as the park was full of children who wanted to ride.

“Sadly, some comments in response to the event have been negative, blaming BCP and pointing out earlier setbacks the project has faced. But few people are employed by the railway, most people are volunteers giving up their free time because they love it and like to see the children happy. It’s a shame for them to see such negative comments when they’ve worked so hard to get the train back up and running.”

Following a four-year closure, the first miniature train full of happy passengers set off last week in a locomotive temporarily on loan from Cornwall, while Poole’s new electric engine is passing final inspections ahead of an official reopening. The shiny new mint-green carriages were a hit with locals and tourists alike.

The service is expected to run from 10am daily, weather-permitting, travelling around the smaller lake in the park.

Cllr Mark Anderson from BCP, which runs and owns the attraction, reiterated the importance of this period of testing:

“The safety of our passengers and volunteers is of the greatest importance and that’s why this phase of the project is so vital and can’t be rushed,” he said, explaining why a launch date can’t yet be announced. “Following this, training for our officers and amazing volunteers will need to take place.”

The attraction, originally set up in 1949, had to be closed in 2018 after problems with derailments and staff shortages. Planning permission was given in 2019 for demolition and replacement of the engine shed and re-laying of the 640m track, with a budget of £350,000.

Cllr Anderson went on to thank the local miniature train community for their support and encouragement with the project.

“On a personal level, I’m hugely excited about the reopening of this attraction, "he said. “However, I’m also incredibly proud that BCP council made the decision to reopen this attraction, as it recognised the important history and heritage of the railway in Poole Park.”

By Emily McGregor, Poole Local News and Lifestyle Reporter