A £2.5 million appeal has been launched to secure the future of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and you can now pledge your support online.

Earlier this year, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded NYMR £4.6M as part of the £9.2M Sustainability Project, NYMR’s Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey Appeal.  To deliver the investment programme, the NYMR must raise approx. £2.5M from members, passengers and the public over the next five years.

The award-winning visitor attraction steams across the North York Moors bringing delight to more than 350,000 passengers every year. Owned and operated by an independent charitable trust with no public funding, day to day operation of the railway is carried out by volunteers who work steadily to improve the quality of the infrastructure, the railway vehicles and the experience of visitors.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust Chairman, John Bailey, said "Fifty years ago our founders had the vision and determination to re-open the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Today we face a challenge of similar scale. We are extremely grateful for the support from the National Lottery. With its backing, we can plan confidently both the implementation of essential projects and our appeal for the balance of funds required. This should ensure that, fifty years hence, people will still be learning from and enjoying the experience of steam across the Moors.”

The aim of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey is to boost investment in the infrastructure and the activities of the railway to help ensure that it can continue to operate successfully for the next fifty years.

Specific elements will:

• Renew and repair the worn-out iron bridges around Goathland, removing a threat to the NYMR’s continued operation (£2.67M).
• Provide a Fuss-free access carriage in every train, with ramps, loos and seating to easily accommodate the needs of all passengers, whatever their mobility (£770k).
• Construct a covered stable for up to 40 carriages at Pickering, reducing decay and easing maintenance of the irreplaceable carriage fleet (£4.16M).
• Better serve school groups and families with a dedicated education carriage at Goathland, building on success at Pickering and providing interpretation so visitors get more from their visit to a perfect country station (£330k).
• Create a new volunteer hostel at Grosmont, providing decent facilities to encourage new volunteers including families and young people (£450k).
• Develop initiatives to recruit new generations of volunteers to the line (£170k).
• Build a railway apprenticeship programme (£470k).
• Place a new emphasis on the care and management of the 18 miles of lineside (£170k). 

Keeping 18 miles of railway with more than 30 bridges in top condition through the difficult countryside of the North York Moors is a continuing challenge for the NYMR Trustees. The 180-year old railway already invests around £1 million annually but there’s only so much the fare box can generate and much more is needed for the railway bridges and its 50-100 year old vehicles to remain viable.

Your support and generosity can help us achieve our goal, Yorkshire's Magnificent Journey!

 

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Photo Credit: Charlotte Graham https://www.charlottegraham.photography/