The grand reopening of the Volk’s Electric Railway after its £1.65million revamp will take place on Good Friday.
The railway was closed last summer while work to construct its new visitor centre, workshop and Black Rock station took place.
News reader and volunteer train driver Nicholas Owen will offically re-open the 135-year-old line next Friday at 10.30am.
Alan Robins, chair of Brighton and Hove City Council’s tourism, development and culture committee, said: “It will be great to have the Volk’s back on its tracks. It’s such a well-loved part of Brighton’s seafront. The seaside vista from the train is something to celebrate in itself.
“Magnus Volk was an amazing local inventor and the new workshop and visitor centre are ideal places to learn more about his life and the workings of his trains.”
Passengers and visitors will also be able to take part in creative workshops throughout Easter, including top hat decorating, making a Morse code machine or taking part in a drawing tour of the seaside architecture.
The new Aquarium Station Visitor Centre will house exhibits and learning about the history of the railway and its founder Magnus Volk who built the railway in 1883.
Magnus was a prolific inventor and designer who also created the ‘Daddy Longlegs’ which ran along tracks on the seabed, from Banjo Groyne to Rottingdean, powered by overhead electric cables.
The new conservation workshop houses a working model showing the railway as it was in 1933 and has a public viewing gallery where visitors can watch the trains being worked on.
Train tickets and drop in workshop places can be purchased on the day of travel, and bookable family workshop tickets are available online.
Opening and train times – Monday-Friday 10.30am-5.30pm and Saturday-Sunday 10.30am-6.30pm.
Trains run approximately every 15 minutes and a round trip of the railway takes around 30 minutes.
To book workshop places and for a full list of ticket and workshop prices, visit www.volksrailway.org.uk
