North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has chosen award-winning construction firm Hobson & Porter to build a carriage stable to help secure the future of the popular heritage railway.
Hobson & Porter’s work is part of a larger scheme to transform the railway and secure its future as part of its £10million-pound Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey (YMJ) Appeal.
The carriage stable will help sustain the NYMR and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the supporters of the NYMR.
The four-road single-storey carriage shed near to Pickering Station, featuring a cantilevered roof, will accommodate up to 40 of the railway’s heritage carriages and for the first time enable servicing and cleaning tasks to be completed undercover.
Internally, direct platform access will be provided, and an inspection pit will provide access to carriages to run inspections and allow direct access to their undersides to ease regular maintenance.
The project commenced in early January 2020 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020.
Patrick Horton, Hobson & Porter’s Contracts manager, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to carry out this vital work to secure the future of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
“Over the years, many thousands of people have enjoyed breath-taking steam and diesel train journeys through the stunning North Yorkshire countryside, on these heritage trains. Our work will help keep these wonderful carriages in pristine condition and keep them safe when they’re not being used.
“It is going to be a challenging scheme, but our team are more than capable of working next to a live rail environment and we will be keeping any disruption to a minimum.”
The 180-year-old railway currently carries over 300,000 visitors every year along its 24-mile operations between Pickering and Whitby in North Yorkshire and has featured in many award-winning movies including the Phantom Thread and its Goathland Station doubling as Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film.
Chris Price, NYMR General Manager, said: “The benefits the carriage stable will bring will repay the investment time and time again.
“The carriage stable will help ensure the historic carriages survive for the enjoyment of future generations of passengers by reducing deterioration levels of the carriages, deliver an improved journey experience for our visitors and provide better working conditions for our staff to sustain our 1930’s and 1960’s carriages for our visitors to enjoy.”
The other six Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey projects include:
- The renewal of old bridges at Goathland Station – with three iron bridges to be replaced.
- The conversion of four carriages to provide easier mobility access, tailored seating, wheelchair facilities and accessible toilets on every train.
- Conservation of the railway lineside through the North Yorks Moors National Park
- The recruitment of a new post to drive awareness of volunteering and a new volunteering centre.
- Improved interpretation and education facilities on the railway.
- The provision of 12 apprenticeships to sustain the heritage railway and its activities.
The YMJ project aims to secure the long-term future of the popular heritage railway. It will involve other much-needed infrastructure improvements to enable the line to continue running, including the replacement of three bridges. The project also focuses on improving access to the railway by those with disabilities and young children, providing new opportunities for apprentices and new education and volunteering facilities. There will be more updates on these exciting initiatives over the coming months as work progresses.
For more information about the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, visit www.nymr.co.uk
Photo credit: Hobson & Porter/ NYMR
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