Three of our local heritage railway organisations are using Yorkshire Day (August 1st) to call upon the public for their support after a series of financial challenges.
As well as the current spate of strikes affecting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) which uses part of the national rail network, the prolonged dry spell of weather has been causing an outbreak of lineside fires, badly disrupting rail timetables.
The NYMR (North Yorkshire Moors Railway), Yorkshire Wolds Railway, and the National Railway Museum in York have joined forces with over 75 other heritage railway organisations across the UK for the second annual ‘Love Your Railway’ nationwide campaign.
It shines a spotlight on heritage railway organisations, and is encouraging visitors to buy tickets to support them this summer.
The campaign covers six weekly themes which aims to raise awareness of the importance of heritage railways as tourism destinations, educating and telling the story of Britain’s railways whilst also providing local jobs and volunteer community engagement.
The campaign also aims to highlight how the NYMR has benefited from the £10 million Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project (YMJ), supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and was designed to transform the railway and secure its future.
Chris Price, General Manager at NYMR, said: “Our message for Yorkshire Day is ‘support your local heritage railway’; having survived the COVID pandemic, we’re now being hit by yet more challenges which are heavily impacting our timetables, visitor numbers and therefore revenue.
“The summer holidays are our busiest time of year, so it’s been a real challenge to maintain our high levels of service in the face of strikes and fires – but our team has been fantastic and kept us on track.”
The NYMR and its fellow heritage railways from across the UK carry over 13 million passengers each year, over 560 miles of railway line and contribute £400 million in economic impact.
22,000 volunteers and over 4,000 paid employees keep the UK’s heritage railways on track, highlighting the significant role railways played through the industrial revolution.
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At the time of writing, the following railways participating in #LoveYourRailway 2022 include, up to date list available from www.loveyourrailway.co.uk
1066 Country (Hastings Borough Council)
Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre
Avon Valley Railway
Bahamas Loco Society
Bala Lake Railway
Bodmin & Wenford Railway
Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Bure Valley Railway
Cambrian Heritage Railways
Central Tramway Scarborough
Colne Valley Railway
Crich Tramway Village
Dean Forest Railway
East Anglian Railway Museum
East Kent Railway
East Lancashire Railway
East Somerset Railway
Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways
Foxfield Railway
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
Great Laxey Mine Railway
Head of Steam
Headhunters Railway Museum
Heaton Park Tramway
HOPS
Hornby
Heritage Railway Association
Invergarry & Fort Augustus Railway Museum
Isle of Man Steam Railway
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
South Devon newsletter
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
Keith & Dufftown Railway
Kent & East Sussex Railway
Lappa Valley Steam Railway
Leighton Buzzard Railway
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
Llangollen Railway
Lynton & Barnstaple Railway
Middleton Railway
Mid Norfolk Railway
Mid Suffolk Light Railway
Mumbles Development Trust
Museum of Scottish Railways
National Railway Museum
Nene Valley Railway
Northampton & Lamport Railway
North Dorset Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Peak Rail
Plym Valley Railway
Rail Riders
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Severn Valley Railway
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
South Devon Railway
St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust
Stainmore Railway Company
Stephenson Railway Museum
Straffan Steam Museum
Swanage Railway
Tanfield Railway
Telford Steam Railway
The Auckland Project
The Postal Museum
Threlkeld Quarry Railway
Vale of Rheidol Railway
Watercress Line
Weardale Railway
West Somerset Railway
Whitwell & Reepham Railway
Yeovil Railway Centre
Yorkshire Wolds Railway