RUISLIP Lido Railway will use a £75,000 grant from HS2 to convert its diesel locomotive, Graham Alexander, to low-carbon battery power.

It will improve air quality and reduce noise on the UK’s longest 12-gauge railway line.

Graham Alexander is one of the Lido Railway’s fleet of six locomotives, currently running on a 4.5-litre engine.

The money is from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund.

Ruislip Lido was originally built in 1811 as a reservoir to supply drinking water for London via the newly-built Grand Junction Canal.

After World War Two, the Grand Union Canal Company developed the Lido as a tourist attraction for war-torn Londoners.

It included a miniature railway running around the perimeter of the 60-acre lake.

Today, the railway runs for more than 200 days a year and is entirely managed and operated by a team of 130 active volunteers.

Matthew Thomas, a member of Ruislip Lido Railway Society, said: “Graham Alexander is expected to re-enter operation later this year, hauling visitors around our unique railway.

“We believe this project is likely to be the first narrow-gauge railway in the UK to convert an existing diesel locomotive to an entirely renewable energy source.”