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<p>The United Kingdom is a true pioneer in the history of railway development, benefiting
from the talents of Brunel and Stephenson among many others.</p><p>Heritage railways
are major contributors to the UK’s visitor economy, attracting around 13 million visitors
and bringing an estimated £250 million to the economy each year. More than 3,000 people
are employed on heritage railways, with a further 22,000 volunteers generously committing
their time and expertise.</p><p>The unprecedented Cultural Recovery Fund provided
approximately £18 million to heritage railway-related organisations during the COVID-19
pandemic, helping them to reopen safely and continue to welcome visitors. The Department
for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is also currently undertaking the Local Visitor
Economy Partnership accreditation process which will benefit heritage railways by
ensuring that local tourist boards work together to boost the visitor economy across
the country.</p><p>HM Government is engaged in positive discussions with Network Rail
and the Heritage Rail Association to discuss their plans for the Rail 200 bicentenary
celebrations, to ensure that the historic birth of the UK’s first passenger railway
can be properly celebrated. DCMS’s arms-length bodies Historic England and the National
Lottery Heritage Fund are also investing in projects that will support the bicentenary.</p><p>Specific
elements of heritage railway infrastructure are protected through the designation
process. For example, signal boxes, stations, bridges can all be listed, and specific
embankments, cuttings and so on can be scheduled under heritage protection legislation.
In general, entire railways are not designated.</p><p> </p>
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