Over £10,000 raised for RNLI by Branchline & Hovertravel

Neil Chapman, MD at Hovertravel, explained: “By working with an established association such as Branchline, we raised a significant sum for a very worthy charity, and we showcased Portsmouth to over 450 enthusiastic tourists. Hovertravel takes its role as an active promoter of local tourism very seriously and we engage with our contacts across the travel and transport sectors to raise the awareness of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight on a regular basis.”

The Portsmouth rail tour started in Crewe at 0530 and wound its way to Portsmouth via Stafford, Nuneaton, Watford and Reading before arriving at 1256. Guests then had four hours to explore the city, with optional excursions including the D-Day Museum and the Hovercraft Museum.

The Branch Line Society is a UK-based voluntary association for railway enthusiasts. It is a nationally spread organisation with a membership of nearly 2,000. It was established in 1955 and is widely recognised as Britain's leading amateur group for the study of railway infrastructure and history of networks.