AYRSHIRE’S only heritage railway is looking forward to welcoming the public back at its first open day of 2022.

The Doon Valley Railway at Dunaskin, Scotland’s only preserved industrial railway, hasn’t operated any trains for the public since before Covid.

But all that will change on Easter Monday, April 18, when the railway’s heritage diesel locomotive will be back in use offering 15-minute trips along the Doon Valley on board a vintage saloon carriage.

As reported in the Chronicle recently, volunteers have been hard at work in recent weeks getting the railway, located at Waterside, south of Patna, ready to welcome its first visitors in two years.

The Easter Monday event – also including an Easter egg hunt – may be the railway’s first open day of the year, but if you can’t make it along on Monday, there will be plenty of other chances to pay a visit during the Spring and Summer.

Further open days are planned for May 1 and 29, and June 19 and 26, and then every Sunday in July, August and September, with the railway’s unique ‘fireless’ steam locomotive in operation on the last Sundays in June, July and August.

The railway’s unique working fireless locomotive will be in steam on the last Sundays in June, July and August.

Looking ahead to Easter Monday, Gordon Thomson, secretary of the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group, which operates the railway, said: “Our heritage diesel locomotive, ‘Powfoot No. 1’, will be operating the Easter Bunny Special.

“The first train departs at 11am and trains will run every 20 minutes until 4pm. Tickets can be bought on the day – no need to pre-book – from our new, improved, shop and ticket office.

“Our revamped museum will also be open, with many more railway related artefacts on display.”

On each open day, opening times are from 11am to 4.30pm (last admission 4pm).

The railway’s attractions also include a shop and café. For more information, including full details of admission prices, check out doonvalleyrail way.co.uk.