North Yorkshire Moors Railway Confirms Revised Reopening Dates As Bridge Fundraising Tops Quarter Of A Million

Heritage railway bosses have announced updated reopening schedules for the route to Whitby as donations for critical bridge repairs surpass the £250,000 milestone.

Heritage railway officials have revealed an updated timeline for the resumption of full passenger services between Pickering and Whitby. Engineers tackling crucial structural supports at a crossing near Grosmont have confirmed that the bridge will be operational by Saturday the 23rd of May. Following this, the complete route to the coast will be accessible to the public starting Monday the 1st of June.

At present, trains are only permitted to travel between Pickering and Goathland while the intensive maintenance programme is carried out.

The chief executive officer of the heritage line explained that while the project is moving forward rapidly, unexpected discoveries during the digging phase have pushed back the original schedule.

Laura Strangeway said:

"Work to prop Bridge 42 continues at pace and substantial progress has been made; however, initial excavation work and test results have shown that further work is needed than initially anticipated, which has extended the programme of works.

"With complex work of this nature, it is not unusual for the schedule of work to be under constant review, and we are keeping our customers, volunteers and staff informed. After discussions with our engineering partners, we have decided to move the publicised re-opening date of Bridge 42 to May 23rd and the full line from Pickering to Whitby will open on June 1st, when our special event ‘Day out with Thomas’ (May 23rd to 31st) concludes.

"The revised date reflects the additional work needed and provides a realistic timeframe within which to complete work to the required standard."

Favourable weather conditions have aided the engineering teams on the ground.

Director of Mechanical Engineering, Paul Middleton, provided an update on the construction process:

"The works really progressing now, mother nature's been very good to us with the dry weather which is keeping the water level down in the river which was one of the concerns. They're on with damming the river at the moment to get the south end foundations in for the propping. That happens next week and then they can start building the propping underneath it. And that'll come together quite quickly cause that's prefabricated.

The progress of the work now and the fact that they know the lie of the land in terms of the base of the riverbed etc has allowed them to confirm more confidently that the bridge'll be completed by the 23rd of May and then we're looking at opening the full services back to Whitby again on the 1st of June."

The severed route has caused considerable headaches for the organisation, significantly impacting their ability to generate income.

Paul Middleton highlighted the operational difficulties caused by the closure:

"It is it's very difficult when you can't open your full line and give the passengers what they want, their journey to Whitby.

Obviously this is a key structure and safety is paramount so we cannot run trains over it when it's been deemed as not fit for that. So it's really important that we get this work done but it's critical for the railway we do get back open again and trading as normal. It it it does have implications on an organisation when you can't deliver your full service, you know, from a financial point of view.

It's been quite a tricky time but we're getting there. We like a challenge here, we'll get on with it and we'll get the railway back open so people can come and ride across the lovely North Yorkshire Moors and down to Whitby."

The repairs, encompassing both the temporary supports and the ultimate permanent fix scheduled for the winter of 2026/27, carry an estimated price tag of up to £1 million. To offset these severe financial pressures, a dedicated campaign was launched. As a reward, anyone contributing £25 or more receives an exclusive pin badge, while a Leeds-based printmaker, David Cockayne, has stepped in to create special linocut artworks to sell in aid of the cause. The appeal has been a massive success, recently surging past the £250,000 mark.

Paul Middleton expressed his gratitude for the public's generosity:

"The fundraising's going really well. The public and the supporters of the railway have really helped us get back on track again.

We've just broke over quarter of a million pounds worth of donations towards this project, which is incredible. For people to delve into their pockets and supporters to get this all important bridge back open again is is nothing short of amazing and I can't thank everybody enough who's donated towards this project.

You're looking at upwards of a million pounds to get this structure back up and running again. It's a listed structure, so it's got to be done correctly and sympathetically, it's got to be rebuilt in effect as is. So that costs a lot of money and it's it's a big span for a single arch bridge. So yeah, everything going about this structure makes it a challenge."

Laura Strangeway added her appreciation for the ongoing support:

"Bridge 42 is absolutely essential to the future of the railway. This campaign is an affordable way for people to feel part of saving something that really matters. Every donation takes us one step closer to the full repair of the bridge, and we’re hugely grateful to everyone who chooses to support us.

"We are so thankful to David for getting in touch and volunteering his time and expertise to help save Bridge 42, without which we cannot run to Grosmont and Whitby. It’s great to be working with a Yorkshire artist and for our supporters to be able to purchase these stunning limited edition prints and be part of our story to save Bridge 42."

The complete reopening of the track on the 1st of June neatly follows a highly anticipated family event at the end of May.

Paul Middleton (also know as Piglet) noted that the return of a famous blue engine will help inspire future railway enthusiasts:

"There's nothing better to get the youngsters on the railway and get them engaged with steam and see a familiar character of Thomas running up and down the railway. So I'm really looking forward to it. It's not something we've done for a number of years and I think this is the start of hopefully many Thomas events on the railway.

I hope people come out and see him and get to ride behind him and just have a good time. And it's all about inspiring the next generation of piglets to come and look after steam engines and keep them running on the railway cause it's no easy task."

There is more information about the campaign to repair Bridge 42 at https://nymr.co.uk/bridge42

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