There is to be another significant anniversary celebrated on the south coast this year as it will be 140 years since the Volk’s Electric Railway opened. The Volk’s Electric Railway Association have announced the first plans for this celebration which is due to take place over the weekend of 12th and 13th August.
The first trains ran on the Volk’s Electric Railway ran on 4th August 1883. This was a 2 foot gauge line running from the Aquarium to the Chain Pier, a distance of around a quarter of a mile. It is that original opening that will be celebrated over the weekend of 12th and 13th August with the Volk’s Electric Railway Association planning to really mark the occasion in style.
Its early stages of planning but they have announced that amongst the events will be a cavalcade of all the cars, night running, a photographic event and celebrity appearances. Its also planned that ex-Southend car 9 will return to the railway with VERA launching an appeal to return it to running order.
Before we reach that celebration though its also been confirmed that services for the 2023 season will start from 1st April. The first train will depart Aquarium at 1200 with services then running regularly along the route from Aquarium to Black Rock.