The original  workshop of Brighton’s historic seafront railway will have to be demolished and replaced to meet modern safety guidelines.

Plans have been revealed for the demolition of the 130-year-old siding sheds at the Volk’s Electric Railway to ensure the much-loved attraction can keep operating.

It had been hoped that the Victorian buildings could be restored – but the structure is beyond repair.

The plans are part of a £1.5 million makeover of the world-famous attraction and it is hoped it will preserve its future for another 100 years.

A bid for Heritage Lottery Funding would be completed in June next year and a decision is expected in September.

As well as plans for a £488,000 replacement siding shed, the money would allow the restoration of three trains and carriages, which would increase the number of passengers.

A planning application for the replacement of the siding shed has now been submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council. The workshop, next to Peter Pan’s Playground, is used for the daily maintenance of the railway’s priceless rolling stock.

The shed has been altered and extended over the years but has now fallen into a state of “serious disrepair”, while much of the maintenance cannot be undertaken within the existing shed because of a lack of space. The current building does not meet safety requirements of Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate, which has the power to shut down the railway, and it is believed that even a repair on a like-for-like basis would fail to meet those standards.

The redesign would also incorporate a gallery allowing members of the public to view the restoration of the trains and learn more about the site’s history and heritage. The new building will be fitted with the latest fire-proofing and anti-graffiti technology as it has attracted arsonists and vandals in the past.

Peter Williams, spokesman for the Volk’s Electric Railway Association, said: “The council has managed to keep the railway going under difficult conditions since 1948.

“This lottery funding will ensure that the railway will run for at least 50 years and more than likely for a hundred years.

“It will help to continue the fantastic legacy that Magnus Volk left the town.” It is also hoped that the railway can be extended an extra 400 yards east so that it finishes in Brighton Marina, although Brighton and Hove City Council said that this merely remains an “aspiration” at the current time.