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North Yorkshire Moors Railway awarded £4.6m lottery grant

Graham Staples North Yorkshire MoorsGraham Staples
The Heritage Lottery Fund said the grant would help ensure the attraction's future

A heritage steam railway has been awarded £4.6m by the Heritage Lottery fund.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) said the funding represented half of a planned £9.2m sustainability project which aimed to secure the railway's future.

The railway, which runs steam trains between Pickering and Whitby, attracts 350,000 passengers a year.

Owned and operated by a charitable trust it employs 100 people.

It also relies on about 1,000 volunteers and NYMR claims it contributes around £30m to the regional tourist economy.

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The 18 miles (29km) of railway has more than 30 bridges and the charity already invests around £1m a year maintaining the route and the 50- to 100-year-old vehicles it operates.

John Bailey, chairman of NYMR, said the grant would allow the organisation to begin essential projects and start raising the matching funding through a public appeal.

"This should ensure that 50 years hence, people will still be learning from and enjoying the experience of steam across the moors," he added.

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NYMR NYMR at LevishamNYMR
NYMR relies on 1,000 volunteers

Planned improvements

  • Renew and repair worn-out iron bridges around Goathland (£2.67m)
  • Improve access for passengers (£770k)
  • Construct a covered stable for up to 40 carriages at Pickering (£4.16m)
  • Better serve school groups and families with a dedicated education carriage at Grosmont (£330k)
  • Create a new volunteer hostel at Grosmont (£450k)
  • Develop initiatives to recruit new generations of volunteers (£170k)
  • Build a railway apprenticeship programme (£470k)
  • Place new emphasis on the care and management of the 18 miles (29km) of lineside (£170k).
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