HRA has not banned or cancelled wartime events, says chairman

YOUR Star Letters in the last two issues have been on the subject of 1940s events, and the letter in your last issue contained a direct criticism of the Heritage Railway Association. I am therefore responding to address the continued misrepresentations about the HRA’s advice on wartime recreations.

Whether by lack of understanding or deliberate attempts to create controversy, the position of both the HRA and member railways has been wrongly portrayed significantly in some quarters. Firstly, it must be made absolutely clear that the HRA has not ‘cancelled’ or ‘banned’ anything. We are a trade support organisation, not a regulator. Anyone who knows the HRA well will understand that we are an organisation that functions on collaboration and cooperation. We do not, nor would ever want to be, in the position to instruct members what to do on things like special events.

We provide guidance, created by our network of heritage railway experts through the many committees that we operate as well as our board – which itself is made up of experienced heritage railway GMs, chairmen, and other active hands-on personnel. Therefore, I hope you can understand that when the HRA provides guidance, many railways do consider it seriously. When we publish a guidance note, it’s not something we do lightly