The Measures to deal with the Corona Virus have closed down the country, hitting heritage railways hard. They depend on income from visitors and now face difficult times. Below are statements from two of the well known northern based railways.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Government advice is being strictly adhered to, and the wellbeing of our visitors, staff and volunteers is our absolute priority and matters of health and safety have our complete attention.
Please rest assured that we’re closely monitoring the situation and will of course post any updates or changes to these plans across our social channels, and here on the website.
Due to this WE NEED YOUR HELP. The NYMR is a registered charity (501388) and without operating this would have a substantial impact on its future. Please help by donating to give the railway a fighting chance to be able to ‘steam on’ in its current form once the pandemic is over.
👉 The NYMR can’t claim insurance compensation for business interruption.
👉 The government has not offered monetary aid to charities yet.
👉 The only government help currently available would put the railway into significant debt, which may take years to pay off.
We could potentially lose up to £1 million over the upcoming weeks. Figures of this magnitude could threaten the very existence of the railway. Please help now and support the NYMR to ensure we survive.
To donate, text 'NYMR' to 70085 to donate £10. This costs £10 plus a std rate message. Alternatively, you can opt to give any whole amount up to £20. E.g. If you text 'NYMR 1' = £1, 'NYMR 4' = £4. Thanks! If you would like to donate via cheque or BACS please complete this Donation Form or click here to donate on line.
Keighly & Worth Valley Railway
As a result of the continued situation with COVID-19 the KWVR is now closed until further notice. No passenger services will be operating for the foreseeable and all work on the Railway has now ceased.
We’ve tried really hard to keep things as normal as possible and had hoped to continue running our advertised passenger trains to the published timetable.
We’ve been closely monitoring the situation and as the health and well-being of our passengers, volunteers and staff is our top priority, we’ve made the decision to close the railway.
This means that there will be no passenger trains, shop or café facilities until further notice.
On 19 March, increased measures put into place by the government meant that we had to close the railway. Our volunteers are at the heart of our railway and their health and well-being as well as that of our passengers and staff is our top priority.
We are unsure how long the railway will be closed, but as a registered charity the cancellation of our passenger trains, events and the closure of our commercial outlets will hit us hard.
This appeal is the first in a possible series of fundraising initiatives we will be delivering. Please help support us through this difficult time by donating whatever you can. We will share more information on our other fundraising plans through our website and social media and directly to our members through the Push and Pull magazine.
Your donation will go towards keeping the railway afloat, and with your help we’ll be able to continue doing what we do best.
Thank you for all your support and donations. Click here to donate.
The events below have also been cancelled, please keep up to date on developments with future events via this website and social media:
Sparkle & Steam: 11 April & 8-9, 23 May
Haworth Haddock: 25 April & 30 May
If you have pre-booked any of the above events you should have received an email from us outlining your options. If you haven’t received this please email: bookings@kwvr.co.uk, but please bear with us for a reply as it’s a very busy time for the admin team.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will keep you updated with any further changes.
As a registered charity you can imagine that these cancellations have hit us hard, and we really appreciate all your support at this difficult time.
Sparkle & Steam: 11 April & 8-9, 23 May
Haworth Haddock: 25 April & 30 May
If you have pre-booked any of the above events you should have received an email from us outlining your options. If you haven’t received this please email: bookings@kwvr.co.uk, but please bear with us for a reply as it’s a very busy time for the admin team.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will keep you updated with any further changes.
As a registered charity you can imagine that these cancellations have hit us hard, and we really appreciate all your support at this difficult time.
