The £296,000 grant awarded to the North Yorkshire Railway (NYMR) will enable the railway to catch up on regeneration and maintenance projects that were planned before the pandemic and is fantastic news. The money was awarded as part of £18 million distributed today by the National Lottery Heritage Fund from the first round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
This comes on top of news that efforts by the MP to help NYMR secure redundant equipment arising from the decommissioning of the Heathrow Express, Old Oak Common depot facility have been successful. This includes lifting jacks, maintenance tools and equipment which will be used to maintain a fleet of 40 plus 1930’s and 1950’s carriages which are being stored in a new purpose built depot.
This has been a very good week for the much loved North Yorkshire Moors Railway in the midst of these challenging times. I was delighted to be able to help them secure this much needed maintenance equipment at a time when it was badly needed. It makes no sense for it to go to waste if it can be found a good home here in North Yorkshire. I’m also very pleased that the NYMR has been awarded this further grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund because it will enable them to catch up on projects that had had to be put aside during the pandemic.
NYMR Chris Price said “When we were made aware of the opportunity to acquire redundant railway equipment from the Heathrow Express Train Care Facility, it quickly became apparent that permission to donate the equipment to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway would be needed from the Department For Transport. There is no doubt in my mind that having the excellent support from Kevin was instrumental in not only the permission being granted but also the timely fashion in which we received it. Once again this public benefit charity that has great community value to the North Yorkshire area, has been excellently supported by the local MPs.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “From restoring Georgian lidos and Roman baths to saving local screens and synagogues, our Culture Recovery Fund is helping to save the places people can’t wait to get back to, when it is safe to do so. All over the country, this funding is protecting the venues that have shaped our history and make us proud of our communities, whilst safeguarding the livelihoods of the people that work in them.”
In November the NYMR was awarded £1,904,902 from the Cultural Recovery Grant to help pay for staff and care of the locomotives in the museum’s collection. The money was described as a lifeline because of the financial impact of the pandemic.
