Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of heritage railways on the economy.

The Government does not hold data on the economic impact of heritage railways on the UK economy.

DCMS official statistics currently uses the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code 91.03 Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions as a narrow proxy for the heritage sector. In 2024, the SIC code Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions contributed an estimated 10,000 jobs with a Gross Value Added estimated at £0.8 billion.

Historic England, Government statutory advisors on the historic environment, estimated England's heritage sector overall contributed £15.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2022, with a total estimated employment of 201,000 workers.

The Heritage Railway Association, the largest heritage rail trade body, values the economic contribution of the UK's heritage rail sector at roughly £600 million annually. This sum is generated through tourism, local business spending, and the support of thousands of jobs and volunteers across the country.