Steam train events company creates six jobs in Telford

A new events company which organises The Polar Express experiences on steam railways has created six jobs in Telford, helped by Bulleys Bradbury.

PNP Events Ltd, which runs adventures from the famous 3D computer-animated film under licence from the US giant Warner Bros., has taken Unit J12 at the Halesfield 19 industrial estate.

The company has been launched by rail enthusiast Paul Hughes and business analyst Phil Neal, and they are using the 4,351 sq ft unit for offices, storage and props construction.

Their first major series of events will run on steam trains at Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire throughout December, employing a further 50 staff on short-term contracts.

Mr Hughes, who also owns Western Signs in Telford, said: “I worked as a volunteer for Telford Steam Railway and instigated The Polar Express adventures as a charity event.

“I also assist another event in Norfolk on a commercial basis and this is when I saw that this was a business opportunity.

“I teamed up with Phil, who’s an experienced business analyst, and we got the licence to market and run the experiences from Warner Bros. via Rail Events Inc.

“We’ve taken on six staff to run the company and are set to employ another 50 throughout December to handle up to 44,000 visitors enjoying the experience on Wensleydale Railway.

“We’re looking into running the experiences at other steam railways and will extend our offerings into other entertainment events as we become established.”

Mr Hughes added: “We’re really grateful to everyone at Bulleys Bradbury who quickly found us the space we need to get the business up and running.”

Richard Bradbury, director of Bulleys Bradbury, the Telford-based commercial property consultancy, arranged the letting on behalf of the landlord of Halesfield 19, Paloma Capital.

Mr Bradbury said: “We were delighted to help these local businessmen set up what sounds like an exciting new business, and we look forward to watching them succeed with their plans.

“The fully refurbished industrial and warehouse units we are offering at Halesfield 19 are in a popular location and we are getting lots of interest from a variety of businesses.”

The Polar Express is a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks and is based on the beloved children's book by Chris Van Allsburg.

It sees a young boy take an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, where he discovers that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Bulleys Bradbury is joint agents for Halesfield 19 with Andrew Dixon & Company.

It’s one of the main industrial parks near Telford with easy access just off the A442 dual carriageway, and around four miles away from Junction 4 of the M54 motorway.