North Yorkshire Moors Railway Celebrating 50th Anniversary

North Yorkshire Moors Railway is set to celebrate it's 50th anniversary of public running services this afternoon.

They are recreating the official opening train from 1973, with the train taking passengers from Grosmont Station to Pickering, using the same locomotives and three volunteers from the day. 

Chris Cubitt and Terry Newman will be back as footplate crew, whilst John Bruce will be operating the signal box on the 1330 departure from Grosmont Station replicating their roles on the same day, 50 years later with the same locomotives.

Since the public running services began, it has become Britain's most popular heritage railway, with 300,000 visitors each year.

Marketing Manager - Luke Hudman - says that it's going to be a special day.

Before it departs, visitors will get the opportunity to take a look at the locomotives and jump on board to meet the two drivers. 

Luke Hudman hopes that the event will inspire the next generation of volunteers. 

Another long standing volunteer, John Hunt, will be doing a book signing of his latest book North Yorkshire Moors Railway Golden Jubilee. The book takes the reader on a journey along the entire original route from Whitby through to Pickering with visuals to allow the reader to compare the railway of old to how it runs today. The book serves as a tribute to half a century of progress and to the many hundreds of people who have been involved along the way.

Renowned historian and expert on the NYMR, Ron Pickering, will also be giving a captivating talk ‘Celebrating 50 Years’ of the railway line. This fascinating talk is free, but pre-booking of tickets is required.

Chris Price CEO said,

“Celebrating 50 years of the railway is an incredible achievement. We are so grateful to each and every member of staff and volunteers who continue to spread the joy and knowledge of steam trains to all of our visitors. For some of the team this anniversary is extra special because they have worked at the NYMR since the first day in 1973 when the Duchess of Kent officially opened the railway. John Bruce, Chris Cubitt, John Hunt, and Terry Newman are still working full steam ahead as the NYMR continues its journey. The preservation of the railway means future generations can enjoy it for years and years to come.”

For its 2023 season opening, the NYMR announced the launch of a new Unlimited Annual Pass which lets passengers pay for one day and benefit from travel for 12-months. As well as this, Kids Go Free in 2023 meaning any child between 0-15 years old travels completely free! The Headline Fare is £40 and valid for 12 months along the full length of the line between Pickering and Whitby, and a single-use Shorter Journeys ticket can be purchased for £15.

The dedicated charity is encouraging all of its loyal visitors and new guests to join in the 50th celebrations this year. Whilst on board, visitors can take in the breath-taking scenery of the North York Moors National Park, including Goathland railway station, known to millions as a filming location for the iconic Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The NYMR has also recently been used as a location for the latest films in the Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones franchises.

The NYMR welcomes over 300,000 visitors every year and relies on a dedicated team of full-time staff and over 900 active volunteers to run and maintain the 24 miles of heritage railway.

For more information, to purchase tickets and to support the NYMR through another 50 years visit, www.nymr.co.uk.

For a link the to the talk visit https://www.nymr.co.uk/Event/celebrating-50-years.