Pugneys Light Railway: Popular light railway vandalised for third time in two months

Pugney’s Light Railway in Wakefield, was built almost 30 years ago by the late Jim Pinder.

Following Jim’s death in 2013, the railway was closed for a number of years before being taken over by Bob Brocklehurst who with his team of volunteers restored the railway and the first passenger train in 2017.

Pugney’s Light Railway (PLR) posted a statement on their Facebook page.

They said: “It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we share this message.

“Over the past two months, Pugneys Light Railway has endured three separate acts of criminal damage — each one leaving us more devastated, more exhausted, and more heartbroken than the last.”

They said the first incident involved individuals forcing their way into their station hut.

PLR said they did this “by cutting through the steel shutters with angle grinders, smashing the windows, and stealing the safety radios we rely on to protect our visitors and volunteers.

“They also took essential equipment and personal belongings, leaving behind a scene that was as upsetting as it was senseless,” the statement said.

PLR is a 7 1/4 inch gauge miniature light railway. It opened as a 500 yard end to end and was further extended in 1999 to a 750 yard balloon loop with trains running from Pugneys Lakeside.

Volunteers run a range of locomotives including two Exmoor steam locomotives 'Jane' and 'Sapphire'.

Volunteers were devastated that shortly after the first incident, vandals attempted to break in a second time. Fortunately they were unsuccessful but they still damaged the steel covers.

PLR said: “The knowledge that they tried again - so soon after the first attack - was a blow in itself.”

Then the most recent incident, occurring over the weekend has seen the solar panel torn from the roof of the station hut, and the wiring deliberately cut.

Volunteers said this latest incident has “shaken us deeply.“

PLR said: “This single act has left us unable to charge the batteries that power our trains and keep the railway running. To see something built with love, care, and community spirit treated with such disregard is incredibly painful.

“These are not isolated events. They are simply the latest in a long line of selfish actions that chip away at the heart of a small, volunteer‑run railway.

“Every member of our team gives their time freely. Every penny we make is reinvested into keeping the railway alive for families, children, and visitors who come to share in the joy it brings.

“To watch that hard work repeatedly undone is nothing short of heartbreaking.”

PLR said that it’s with “genuine sorrow” that they must introduce their first fare increase in nine years.

They said: “This is not a decision we ever wanted to make. It is one forced upon us by the actions of a small number of individuals who care nothing for the impact they leave behind.”

From February 1, PLR fares will rise by £1 to £2.50.

They added: “We have absorbed the costs of vandalism for as long as we possibly could, but continuing to do so would put the future of Pugneys Light Railway at risk.

“We hope our community understands the difficult position we are in. More than that, we hope you will continue to stand with us, support us, and help us protect the railway that so many people cherish.

“Your kindness, patience, and solidarity mean more now than ever.”