Heritage Railways to Initiate New Year’s Day Whistle Event

An historic railway custom will be revived on New Year’s Day when heritage locomotives across the UK sound their whistles at midday. This event, termed the “whistle off,” is being organized by the Heritage Railway Association and serves to inaugurate Railway 200, a year-long series of activities commemorating the 200th anniversary of modern railways’ inception. Scheduled to continue throughout 2025, Railway 200 seeks to encourage younger individuals to pursue careers within the rail industry. The Severn Valley Railway, which operates a 16-mile stretch connecting Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire and features six stations, is one of the heritage lines participating on 1 January. At Bridgnorth in Shropshire, volunteer driver Mick Matthews and fireman Alex Robinson are slated to sound the whistle. Mr. Matthews, 62, of Norton Canes, Staffordshire, commented, “When we sound the whistle at noon, we’ll definitely be giving it some extra welly.” Mr. Robinson, 25, from Bridgnorth, added, “Knowing that heritage loco crews across the UK will be all sounding their whistles at exactly the same time is a wonderful way of bringing us all together.” The railway, which attracts as many as 250,000 visitors annually, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025. This full-size, standard-gauge line operates both steam and diesel-hauled passenger trains and is managed by over 1,600 volunteers. According to a spokesperson for Railway 200, the whistle off is planned as a global occasion, involving railways in locations such as Holland, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. Approximately 65 heritage railways, encompassing over 180 locomotives, have confirmed their participation to date, a spokesperson stated. They further mentioned that the mainline railway is also involved, and both rail employees and the public are invited to whistle or ring bells and post their involvement on social media platforms.