‘Future-proofing Swanage Railway for the next generation’: Interview with Abbie King, CEO of Swanage Railway
Love It Local talks to Abbie King, the first ever chief executive of Swanage Railway about her Dorset roots, breaking through barriers in the heritage sector and her vision for one of the county’s best-loved attractions.
‘My roots in Purbeck go back to 1643’
Family connections to Dorset
Abbie has always had a strong interest in tourism: ‘Yes — I studied travel and tourism originally, which gave me a really solid grounding for the industry. Later, I studied business and finance at university because I realised quite early on that museums and heritage attractions have to be run like businesses if they’re going to survive.”
Rather than following the traditional curator route, Abbie deliberately chose a different path into the heritage sector: “I knew the museum world was incredibly competitive, so business skills gave me another way in. Since then I’ve worked for charities, museums and tourism attractions.”
‘Museums have to be run like businesses’
Abbie has always had a strong interest in tourism: ‘Yes — I studied travel and tourism originally, which gave me a really solid grounding for the industry. Later, I studied business and finance at university because I realised quite early on that museums and heritage attractions have to be run like businesses if they’re going to survive.”
Rather than following the traditional curator route, Abbie deliberately chose a different path into the heritage sector: “I knew the museum world was incredibly competitive, so business skills gave me another way in. Since then I’ve worked for charities, museums and tourism attractions.”
‘Pushing through the glass ceiling’
Abbie also speaks openly about the challenges she faced as a woman building a career in the heritage industry: “I became a single parent shortly after university and raised my daughter throughout my career,” she says proudly. “She’s now 25 and an English teacher.”
The sector itself, she says, has changed dramatically over the last decade: “The museum and heritage industry used to be very much a glass ceiling industry. Ten years ago, all the major London museums were run by men. Women often couldn’t progress beyond middle management.”
Thankfully, she believes progress is finally being made. “That’s changing now because women have simply had enough. I’m proud to be part of the generation that pushed through that ceiling.”
“Railway is absolutely thriving now”
The post of CEO was a new one for Swanage Railway and we asked what the challanges have been?
“To be honest, like many tourism and heritage attractions, Swanage Railway was struggling financially after Covid,” Abbie admits. “But thankfully that’s no longer the case — the railway is absolutely thriving.”
She believes the key has been balancing heritage preservation with modern business thinking. “You have to find the balance between being a heritage project and running a successful tourism business. Without financial stability, you can’t invest back into the heritage side.”
That balance is now shaping major investment projects across the railway.
Accessibility for all
One of the railway’s biggest upcoming projects focuses on accessibility and inclusion. “We want passengers with additional accessibility needs to be able to travel comfortably with their families in the carriage itself,” Abbie explains. “At the moment many have to sit separately in the guard’s van, and that’s not the experience we want people to have.”
The railway is currently seeking funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to transform two carriages into fully accessible vehicles complete with:
• Accessible toilets
• Wider doors for wheelchairs and mobility scooters
• Spacious interiors
• Inclusive family seating
Alongside this, the railway plans a full accessibility audit across the entire site. “This isn’t about token adaptations,” says Abbie. “It’s about dignity, inclusion and doing the right thing.”
Inspiring the next generation
While volunteers remain the lifeblood of the railway, Abbie is conscious that volunteering patterns are changing. “We’re incredibly lucky to have more than 400 volunteers, but future generations are retiring later, so we have to think ahead.”
That’s where the railway’s youth volunteering initiative, the Sygnets scheme, becomes so important. The programme, aimed at 13–18-year-old, allows young people to take part in railway operations and events while developing valuable life skills.
“They might help clean an engine or assist at events. It builds confidence, teamwork and communication skills” explained Abbie. “Many participants later become permanent volunteers or even paid staff members”
“We even have volunteers who moved to London for work but still come back at weekends to help,” Abbie explained.
Anyone interested in the Sygnets scheme can find more information online at www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/sygnets
‘A moving museum’
Abbie’s long-term vision for the railway goes far beyond simply transporting passengers. “I see the railway as a moving museum,” she explains. “Our buildings are historical, our track is historical, and every carriage has its own story.”
The railway is now working towards Arts Council accreditation and introducing interpretation boards and QR codes throughout its trains. “We want people to understand the incredible history around them. For example, one carriage began life as a World War One ambulance train before being re-purposed.”
Future exhibits will also highlight untold stories, including the women who helped run the railways during wartime.
Coping with modern pressures
Like many heritage attractions, Swanage Railway continues to face challenges from rising costs and global events. “The biggest pressures for us are coal and diesel prices,” Abbie says. “Coal prices have risen from around £100 per tonne to nearly £400.”
The railway previously sourced much of its coal from Russia and Ukraine, forcing them to find new suppliers due to ongoing global conflict. Transport and logistics costs have also surged dramatically. “Like many businesses, we constantly have to adapt.”
Balancing heritage with sustainability
Despite operating steam and diesel trains, Abbie believes heritage railways still have an important place in environmental discussions. “All heritage railways in the UK combined produce less CO2 in a year than one transatlantic flight,” she points out.
At the same time, Swanage Railway is quietly making environmental improvements behind the scenes. The railway has some introduced electric vans, look after the wildlife on their verges and installed swallow nesting boxes, “We don’t always shout about it, but we do a huge amount in the background.”
Looking ahead to an exciting future
With a packed calendar of family events, educational visits and major attractions planned, the future looks bright for Swanage Railway.
Highlights include the fun Roads to Rail day out held in June, the hugely anticipated arrival of the Flying Scotsman later this year, expanded family events, Halloween experiences and enhanced Christmas celebrations.
“We want visitors to feel warmth and nostalgia,” says Abbie. “Traditional Christmas magic rather than something flashy.”
There are even plans for luxury wedding experiences aboard the train complete with champagne and canapés.
But ultimately, Abbie’s focus remains firmly on the future.
“My role is about future-proofing the railway. I’m not just thinking about this summer — I’m thinking about what Swanage Railway will look like in ten years’ time.”
And judging by the energy, ambition and community spirit driving the railway forward, the next chapter looks set to be every bit as remarkable as its past.
Find what events are coming up at Swanage Railway on their website: www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events
