The Esk Valley Community Rail Partnership is bringing back its Forget Me Not Train, a special service for people living with dementia and their carers.
The Esk Valley Community Rail Partnership is bringing back its Forget Me Not Train today, it's a special service for people living with dementia and their carers.
The service runs from Whitby to Middlesbrough and back. The first of the new Forget Me Not special trains on the Esk Valley line will depart on Wednesday, 19th March, just before 12 noon from Whitby Station. It will arrive in Middlesbrough at 13:30, with a half-hour stopover before returning to Whitby, arriving at 15:37. The service will run on the third Wednesday of every other month.
Lisa Williams from the Esk Valley Railway says there has been a lot of local interest in bringing the service back.
Passengers living with dementia and their carers can travel on board by purchasing a "simple very low-cost return ticket". Tickets can be bought in advance on the Northern website or at station ticket machines. While the train is a normal scheduled service, a specific carriage, typically the first carriage into Whitby, is reserved for the Forget Me Not Train to keep everyone together.
The Forget Me Not Train offers several special facilities. There will be live music on board from the Dave Clegg duo. The partnership has also found that people living with dementia benefit from massage, so they will have someone on board providing hand massages. Additionally, there will be "lots of other surprises".
The return of the Forget Me Not Train has seen an "incredible" response. Lisa Williams highlighted that finding funding is often difficult for such initiatives, but says Northern Rail responded within 24 hours to offer funding
Lisa says many of the travellers bring their own picnics which adds to the atmosphere.
The Forget Me Not Trains are enabled by support from the Community Rail Partnership, Northern Rail, North Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, St. Cecilia’s Care Group, and local business Mucky Duck Chimney Sweep.
The trains are available to all passengers, with special additional facilities for those living with dementia and their carers. Standard fares and railcard discounts apply, and passengers can join at any Esk Valley Railway station along the line. The Esk Valley Community Rail Partnership encourages those interested to take advantage of this returning community initiative.
The first Forget Me Not train of 2025 will run on the 19th March and then again on 21st May, 16th July and 17th September.
The train will leave Whitby Station at 11.59 arriving in Middlesbrough at 13.30. The return journey will be 14.04 from Middlesbrough station arriving back in Whitby at 15.37.
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