As Hayling.co.uk reported a few days ago there was good news from the Hayling Island Seaside Railway and Funland Amusements teams who confirmed the current home for the highly regarded steam train will remain where it is for 2014.
The slight fly in the soup is the popular seafront attraction will still need to find a permanent home moving forwards.
An announcement from Funland was met with positivity and the Hayling Island Seaside Railway staff thanked Funland for their commitment to providing a home in 2014 but aired ongoing concerns over the future of the railway.
Bob Haddock the founder of Hayling Island Seaside Railway said that the pressure is still on to find a new home come 2015. The time constraints to firstly find a new plot have the plans worked out and conduct necessary surveys only adds to the pressure. Even though it seems like theres a significant amount of time to sort out a new home its actually going to pass by quickly.
Funland Amusements are looking at other options behind their property and are working to see if theres a suitable solution there. Plans to move the building in front of Bound Lane were met with resistance from residents as they considered this to be an eyesore and as such that idea has been shelved. Councillors will meet in the next few weeks to hopefully reach a decision on the Hayling Seaside Railways future.
Mr Haddock added: So many people have said to us we dont want it to close.
Families get so much enjoyment out of it. And we do a phenomenal amount for charity. You have to. You get back out of life what you put into it.
A further statement from Funland said: We recognise the important role that the railway plays in bringing visitors to the island and wish them well in their pursuit of a permanent base.
