The Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society stepped in with a grant of £86,213 last year to balance the books, it has been revealed.
The TR Company registered an operating loss of £104,398, up from £80,773 in 2014. Then, £36,632 worth of support was needed.
Despite four events to commemorate the railway’s 150th anniversary, the 84,458 passenger total was only a 0.3% increase, and the increase in the number of free tickets issued on gala days concealed a 4% fall in public bookings to 35,090. The company’s catering department made a loss of £29,264 in 2015 (it was £14,058 the previous year), while the shop profits of £43,450 were a fall from £45,769, despite an increase in turnover (up to £169,360 from £144,854).…