Sunday, 2 August 2020

North Yorkshire Moors Railway is Open


The North Yorkshire Moors railway has re-opened, operating services from Saturday 1st August in line with Government guidance.




A statement on the NYMR website says

"The pandemic has impacted the railway and we have lost vital income from not being able to operate during the 2020 season. Please help to keep us steaming by purchasing a ticket to travel. Your support makes and enormous difference and will help us keep the railway secure for the future.

As part of a phased reopening, we are offering pre-booked, non-stop steam-hauled, services with limited capacity. Services will operate between Pickering and Levisham, Grosmont and Goathland return 7 days per week. Services are approx. 60 minutes. 




Advance tickets are now available to purchase online and passengers will be able to travel from Saturday 1st August, Yorkshire Day. Tickets will be released in two-week blocks, as we closely monitor the situation. Passengers can book either a private compartment (max 6) or travel in a standard TSO Carriage (min 2/max 4) with social distancing measures in place. Passengers include children from 1 years old.

Although we won't be opening our Tea Rooms or station shops as usual, there will be an opportunity to get refreshments before you board the train. Visit the Tea Room at Grosmont, or on Platform 2 at Pickering, where you will find a selection of hot and cold drinks and delicious snacks for you to take on board.





Services 1st to 14th August

Pickering & Grosmont Departures: 09:30, 11:30, 13:30 & 15:30*, non-stop return services.

Standard Tickets:
Compartment: £100 (max 6 people)
Family: £80 (min 2/max 4 people)
Duo: £40 (min 2 people)
Single: £25 (only available on the 15:30* Pickering service)

Covid-19 Control measures in place at the NYMR

Advanced booking required. To help us maintain capacity we are asking all guests to book online in advance.
Enhanced cleaning regimes. We will be cleaning carriages and compartments after each service.
Hand Sanitiser Stations will be provided for you to use.
Contactless payments for all refreshment and retail purchases.
We will be asking our guests to maintain social distancing whilst using our facilities.
Toilets are available at Pickering and Grosmont Stations. There will be no onboard toilets available.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to visit the following areas at this time: All Booking Offices, Pickering Tea Room & Gift Shop, All Facilities at Levisham & Goathland and Grosmont Gift Shop. 




Passenger responsibilities

We ask for your co-operation and that you always follow Government advice and local mitigations at all times including:
Wear a face covering/mask whilst moving around the railway and on the train. These may be removed whilst seated in a compartment.
Wash Your Hands often and use the hand wash stations provided.
Avoid touching your face.
Observe social distancing.

 We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you up to date with any changes, either from the Government or from our own plans. We can't wait to get back to doing what we do best – operating Britain’s busiest heritage railway.

*15:30 Pickering service will be mixed traction. Steam hauled to Levisham & Diesel hauled to Pickering. 50% discount for members and 20% discount for non-members. 



Statement from Chris Price, General Manager: “We are delighted to be welcoming back passengers, staff and volunteers to the railway from the 1st August. It’s great to see activity up and down the line, preparing for re-opening on Yorkshire Day.”

“The railway’s fundraising initiatives and the ‘Welcome Back’ services are part of the railway’s phased re-opening and sustainability programme. As part of phase one, our primary objective was to get the railway operational. Behind the scenes this has been a major undertaking. The majority of staff have been furloughed and continue to be under the government scheme. The decision of operating with shorter journeys was due to a mix of factors and was the best option to kick-start the attraction.”

“Every heritage railway has different operational requirements and varying levels of resource. A major challenge has been to manage the operational requirements, implement Covid-19 mitigations, control the railway’s funds and deliver a great passenger experience. All these factors have played a major part in the railway’s decision-making process.”

“The railway’s operating costs are extremely high and along with limiting ticket capacity, prices are having to reflect this. To help support the charity, to ensure it is sustainable for the immediate future, come and travel on a ‘Welcome Back’ service. Your ticket is a donation and will support not only the railway but the wider community.”

“The second phase of re-opening is to enhance our public offering. Therefore, we have only released tickets in a two-week period. We are currently exploring alternative services and our goal is to re-open the entire line, including all stations.”

“During lockdown we have spent the past few months closed to passengers, however behind the scenes we have been focussed on fundraising initiatives and have so far raised £400,000 to help keep the heritage attraction on track. I would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far, whether you have given a donation or bought a ticket to travel along the line. We still have a challenge in front of us, however we will still continue to pushforward.”