Young people with a passion for engineering, construction and traditional craftsmanship are being offered the chance to help preserve one of Britain's best-loved heritage railways through a new apprenticeship programme at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway.

The award-winning railway has teamed up with Coleg Cambria to launch the scheme, which will give aspiring engineers hands-on experience maintaining and restoring steam locomotives, historic carriages and railway infrastructure.

To showcase the opportunity, prospective apprentices, along with their families, teachers and careers advisers, are being invited to an Open Day on Tuesday, 29 July. Visitors will be able to meet the railway's engineering team, tour the workshops and discover what life as a heritage railway engineer is really like.

The apprenticeship programme is aimed at students studying, or planning to study, Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications in Engineering, Fabrication and Welding, Construction or related subjects.

Unlike many apprenticeships, successful applicants will work on real restoration and engineering projects across the railway's 11-mile route through the Dee Valley National Landscape. Apprentices will learn specialist skills from experienced engineers and craftspeople while helping to maintain an important part of Britain's industrial heritage.

The Llangollen and Corwen Railway is operated by the charitable Llangollen Railway Trust and has become one of North Wales' most popular visitor attractions. Originally part of the former Ruabon to Barmouth railway, the line closed during the Beeching-era railway cuts of the 1960s before being painstakingly rebuilt over the past 50 years by volunteers. The opening of the new Corwen Station in 2023 marked the completion of a long-held ambition to reconnect the railway with the historic market town.

Today, the railway is supported by more than 400 volunteers alongside a skilled engineering workforce, welcoming thousands of visitors every year and making a significant contribution to the tourism economy in Denbighshire and North Wales.

Tim Pulford, Heritage Engineering Manager at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway, said the apprenticeship offered an opportunity unlike any other.

"This is a genuinely unique opportunity for young people who want to build practical engineering skills while working on something truly special," he said.

"The Open Day on 29 July will give prospective apprentices the chance to meet our team, tour the workshops, ask questions and experience the Railway first hand before applying.

"The engineers here at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway are recognised for their expertise around the world. People come here to learn specialist engineering skills and traditional techniques that are becoming increasingly rare, and we are determined to make our Railway a place of learning where those skills are preserved and passed on.

"We are equally determined to create the heritage railway engineers of the future. By investing in apprentices today, we're investing in the long-term future of our Railway and helping ensure these remarkable engineering skills continue for generations to come."

Apprentices will gain experience in a wide range of disciplines, including steam locomotive maintenance and overhaul, steam boiler repairs, machining and fitting, carriage restoration, track renewal, civil engineering projects involving bridges and tunnels, as well as vegetation management and fencing.

The railway has stressed that the role is practical rather than office-based, with apprentices expected to work outdoors in all weather conditions. While physically demanding, it offers the chance to develop specialist engineering and conservation skills that are becoming increasingly rare.

The initiative also supports efforts to address engineering skills shortages while ensuring traditional techniques associated with Britain's railway heritage are passed on to future generations.

Anyone interested in attending the Open Day or learning more about the apprenticeship programme is encouraged to contact Heritage Engineering Manager Tim Pulford by emailing engineering@llangollen-railway.co.uk.

The railway hopes the programme will inspire a new generation to build rewarding careers while helping preserve one of North Wales' most treasured visitor attractions and an important chapter of Britain's engineering history.