A HISTORIC railway museum is set to receive £34,000 in emergency funding to help it survive the pandemic.

Colne Valley Railway, in Castle Hedingham, has been given the bail-out as part of the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The railway is among more than 2,700 organisations to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57billion scheme.

Bosses say it will allow essential maintenance work to take place so the attraction can reopen at the end of May.

The venue has a mile-long heritage railway line which has become a popular visitor attraction.

Railway chairman Paul Lemon said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this grant at this difficult time and it ensures that the Colne Valley Railway will remain open on Sundays during the school summer holidays and we look forward to resuming a full programme of events in 2021.”

The Colne Valley Railway Preservation Society was first formed in 1974 and became a registered charity in 2015.

A new interactive museum opened in 2019, supported by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It takes about 15 volunteers from a membership of more than 400 people to run each operating day.

Nearly £400million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Our record-breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced."