Project South Chord will extend the running line at Yeovil Railway Centre, using a trackbed that was prepared by the Great Western Railway in 1864, but never had any track laid on it, this makes it a unique heritage railway project. The extension will terminate at a new station, Clifton Maybank Junction, and will provide a better visitor experience and allow greater use of the centre's events field. The extension will help to ensure the future of Yeovil's own steam railway. It will also create a new Somerset and Dorset railway!, the extension crossing over the county boundary. By donating to the appeal you can be part of railway history, reaching back to the Navvies of the Great Western Railway who started the work back in 1864 and helping to ensure that their legacy lives on by helping us to complete the trackbed and lay the track to finish the work. Work will also include the construction of an embankment to link the extension to the current running line, a new platform and a wheelchair and pushchair friendly path to our events field. All donations will help and will be gratefully received but we are offering benefits for donations of £50 and over. On the weekend before the new line opens we will be holding a sponsor's weekend, this will not be open to the public. Donations over £50 will entitle donors to the following on sponsor's weekend:

1. £50 - 3rd Class Ticket

1 x ticket for a ride on a pre-booked train, name on sponsor's board

2. £100 - 2nd Class Ticket

2 x tickets for a ride on a pre-booked train, names on sponsor's board

3. £500 - 1st Class Ticket

2 x tickets on the very first passenger train on the South Chord, complimentary glass of champagne* and names on sponsor's board

4. £1,000 - Directors Pass

Footplate experience for one** plus 2 x tickets on the very first passenger train on the South Chord, complimentary glass of champagne*, names on sponsor's board.

*Age 18 and over

** Depending on demand this may not be on sponsor's weekend

Note that Yeovil Railway Centre is the operating name of South West Mainline Steam, a registered charity (charity number 1043581). Our volunteers have already reclaimed rail from other sites for the project, some of this rail being used to lay the first section of rail shown in the photograph and £14,000 has so far been invested in the project. But we now need your help to raise funds to pay for the materials and civil engineering work to complete the project. There have been proposals over the years to use the Chord as a link line but none have proceeded due to cost and the Trustees are not aware of any other current plans.

Please help us to make railway history and help to ensure that Yeovil Railway Centre can continue to keep Yeovil's own steam railway running, preserving railway history for the benefit of current and future generations. Thank you so much for your support, every donation, large or small will help us achieve our goal.