One of Haslemere’s most cherished groups is getting a huge platform as key event in the town’s railway heritage will take place this weekend.

There will be double cause for celebration this Saturday morning as the keys to Haslemere Signal Box will be handed over to the HSBT.

The event will also include the grand opening of the Haslemere Railway Museum to signal the beginning of a new era and conclusion of a four-year journey.

Representatives from Network Rail – which recently submitted a planning application to repaint the signal box in its original Southwestern colours of green and cream – and South Western Railway will give speeches at 11am.

The keys will be handed over to HSBT chair, “Community” Ken Griffiths MBE at 11.15am with the Haslemere Railway Museum being opened shortly afterwards.

There will be a further treat beforehand as a Railway Touring Company steam special, the Portsmouth Flyer, is set to call at the station for water between 10.45am and 11am on the morning.

This weekend has been a long time coming for the HSBT (Haslemere Signal Box Trust) and its volunteers as the handover has been half a decade the making.

The handover means the historic signal box that was decommissioned in October 2024 will be preserved for future generations. Furthermore, the planning application by Network Rail includes changes to its interior with a false ceiling and sink unit being ripped out to further return the building to its original state.

“The proposed works will enhance the architectural and heritage interest of the signal box,” said a spokesperson for Network Rail.

The first floor of the station building will house the museum with SWR leasing the space to the Signal Box charity at a nominal peppercorn rent for at least the next 15 years.