THE wet weather may have brought flooding misery to some, but the downpours have been good news for the troubled Steam museum.

Families seeking to keep children entertained during the miserable weather have been flocking to the loss-making railway museum in droves.

Around 9,000 people have passed through the doors during the holidays an increase of 16 per cent on last year's figure of 7,700.

The figures are a welcome dose of good news for the Swindon Council-run museum, which has incurred losses of around £650,000.

Low visitor numbers have been a constant headache for managers since the £13 million attraction which tells the story of the Great Western Railway opened in 2000.

The aim was to attract 250,000 visitors a year but last year the figure was just 75,000.

The rise in the museum's popularity has also been attributed to the increasing number of events being held there.

In addition, Swindon Card holders have able to enter for just £1 on Wednesdays as part of a summer-long offer.

Coun Justin Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads), lead member for Swindon Services which runs the museum said the future was looking bright.

He said: "The boost in numbers is due to a variety of reasons, including the wet weather.

"We have also been organising more events at the same time as driving down costs to increase efficiency.

"Since we transferred the museum from Cultural Services to Swindon Services in November last year, we have cut losses by £90,000.

"We are now looking at cutting them by a further £50,000 to £100,000."

Events coming up include a Thomas the Tank Engine fun day for children in October and a convention for Great Western Railway enthusiasts.

There are also plans to boost corporate hospitality, introduce free car parking and build a mini-steam railway linking the museum to the nearby McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Village.

Allan Richards, Steam's acting business manager, said: "Year on year visitor numbers have dropped by 15 per cent. But they are now stabilising, and we are trying to increase them with more events and special offers."

Tamash Lal