THE Bala Lake Railway Trust has purchased a piece of land in a bid to complete the extension of its site by 2020.

The £2.5million extension project was given a boost after the trust bought the land from Bala Rugby Club for an undisclosed amount.

The land will form the trackbed of the extension of the railway to the new Bala Town Station, which is expected to welcome a further 60,000 tourists into the town annually.

Julian Birley, chairman of the Trust, said he is pleased that the funds raised for the land purchase have been kept in the town.

"We are absolutely delighted with this acquisition as it is another great step forward in extending the railway," Mr Birley said.

"It is also very gratifying to think that the money for this land has come from funds raised from all over the UK and this has now gone into a local community asset.

"The Bala Rugby Club have been fantastic with their help and support and it is great to see the community benefit."

Bala Rugby Club chairman Tony Parry said he is "very happy to support" with the purchase, adding that the extension "will be of benefit to the whole town".

"It is great to have two local organisations working so well together," he said.

Work now continues behind the scenes to submit a planning application to the National Park Authority by the end of January.

To follow the progress being made on the extension, visit: https://www.balalakerailwaytrust.org.uk/index.html