A RAILWAY enthusiast has been given a ticket to ride.

For the past 14 years, John Wilkinson has been running rolling stock and hand-powered trolleys out of Rowden Mill station, in Wacton, near Bromyard.

He spent five years recreating the station as it would have looked in 1958, when the last train passed through on its way to Leominster. Since then, he has been limited to using using just 180 metres of track.

Now he is set to extend this by an extra 172 metres, after Herefordshire Council granted temporary planning consent for 12 months.

Four neighbours objected, saying the line would create noise pollution and would be an eyesore in the winter.

Planners have imposed strict conditions on the extension. Mr Wilkinson must run the train no more than twice a month and the hand trolley no more than four times a month and only between 2pm and 4pm.