All aboard at Waterford railway but long-time manager stepping off the rails after 25 years

There's a changing of the guard on the way at Kilmeadan Station in County Waterford with the announcement that long-time General Manager, Maria Kyte has decided to step down from her role with the Suir Valley Railway (WSVR), after 25 years of dedicated service to the railway.

Maria has managed the development of the award-winning heritage railway since its inception, through to operating a very successful social enterprise as it preserves and promotes Ireland’s rich railway heritage.

The railway has also become an integral part of the tourism offering in Ireland’s Ancient East, and in so-doing is an important contributor to the local economy.

Maria feels the time is right to move on and pass the management of operations to someone else. 

She started her railway journey 25 years ago, as business development manager for the Waterford Chamber-initiated, Waterford Suir Valley Railway Project.

The project was established to develop and operate a narrow-gauge railway as a tourist attraction on the 10km section of the abandoned Waterford to Cork Railway, between Kilmeadan and Bilberry.

In 2000, the project was established as a limited company and a registered charity and three years later it opened to the public inviting visitors to experience a scenic journey through the magnificent Suir Valley, on Ireland’s longest narrow-gauge railway. 

Attractions along the route include the ruins of Kilmeadan Castle, the internationally renowned Mount Congreve Estate and Gardens, excellent examples of lime kilns and children’s favourite - the 'Magic Woods'.

Over the years the attraction grew as it included special events to extend the season with some of the firm favourites including: The Easter Bunny Express; Summer Choo Choo Fun Days with characters; Spooky Express at Halloween, and the Santa Express at Christmas.

Such was the success of the initiative that visitors came from all over Ireland to enjoy the experiences and now the visitor numbers average around 28,000 annually.

The opening of Waterford Greenway in 2017 was a game-changer for the railway as it brought greater visibility to the project as visitors flocked to experience the award-winning Greenway in a beautiful part of Waterford and one of the most picturesque locations in the country.

As the Greenway visitors stopped off at Kilmeadan Station for a welcome break, the WSVR company had a new source of revenue.

That made the business more sustainable and justified WSVR employing more people on a full-time and seasonal basis. The very popular Whistlestop Café was built to provide a service for railway and Waterford Greenway customers.

In 2020, Waterford Suir Valley Railway rebranded to reflect how it developed from an idea into an anchor attraction for County Waterford.

The 'Story of Rail' storyboards were erected at Kilmeadan Station and they celebrate and commemorate Ireland’s rich railway heritage, recognising how the establishment of railways contributed to the development of tourism and sport, industry, education, engineering and to local social history. 

The public can read more about that at Kilmeadan Station and on the Waterford Suir Valley Railway website.

While Maria spearheaded the successful development of the railway she was quick to point out its success has been down to a collaborative team effort.

“None of this could have been achieved without the amazing people who have volunteered at the railway over the past 25 years," she said.

"Volunteerism is at the heart of Waterford Suir Valley Railway," she added, before commenting: "From the board of directors to the train drivers, it has been humbling to see people give their time and expertise so willingly in order to achieve the companies mission. This is also true of the staff, most of whom joined initially on FAS, TUS, CE or RSS schemes."

"It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with them," she said.

The success of the railway project was also due to the support and encouragement received from Waterford Leader Partnership, Waterford City and County Council, Fáilte Ireland, Clann Credo, Waterford Chamber, Dungarvan Chamber, Iarnród Eireann, The Heritage Council, Pobal, Waterford Local Enterprise Board, Bord na Mona, Visit Waterford, and the people of Waterford.

While Maria is stepping down from her tole the story of the Waterford Suir Valley Railway story is still evolving. 

While a lot has been achieved there are ambitious plans for the future and the person who will take over at the helm from Maria will be joining at a very exciting time. While the brief will be to carry on the legacy of an already successful business they will also be involved in the future development. 

Waterford Suir Valley Railway has plans to return steam to Waterford. Kettering Furnaces No. 3, a 3ft narrow gauge steam locomotive, gifted to WSVR by the National Trust, UK is currently being restored in Darlington by Northern Heritage Engineering, specialists in restoring and building railway rolling stock. 

The restoration project is dependent on funds raised through donations and it's hoped to have work completed by 2027.

Other projects include the building of a Preservation Facilities Building, which will eventually be home to a new tourist attraction celebrating railway heritage. 

There is also huge potential to develop the Viking site, discovered in 2004 at Woodstown, as a tourist attraction as it is just beside the railway line.

There are exciting times ahead for the new General Manager of Waterford Suir Valley Railway, as Maria pointed out: "They will be assisted by a very supportive board of directors, committed staff, volunteer crew and the local community.” 

“I look forward to reading all about their achievements and new developments long into the future," she said.

The WSVR Board of Directors has commenced the recruitment process for a General Manager and interested applicants are invited to send their CV to info@wsvrailway.ie by 12 noon on Thursday, March 5. 

Meanwhile, the railway is open for the February mid-term break from February 19th to 22nd, and plans are already in place to open for the Easter holidays, as it will be business as usual for Maria Kyte and the WSVR crew. 

To find out more about the railway or to donate to the fundraiser for the restoration project visit www.wsvrailway.ie