WENSLEYDALE’S heritage railway has made good progress in its plans to re-open offering an improved visitor experience.

Despite being without any fare income since last March and the cancellation of its popular Christmas Polar Express trains because of the pandemic, the railway has used 2020 to press ahead with improvements to its track, rolling stock and station facilities.

It has received a major Government grant to help the railway get back on its feet.

The railway was awarded £90,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to pay for repairs to the track, pay staff and employ additional cleaning staff for the deep cleaning of the carriages and to support social distancing measures when passengers return.

That grant and £50,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund will also provide Covid protection screens in eight carriages and re-cover the seats in two carriages which will allow them to come back into service.

The railway’s managers, staff and volunteers showed Chancellor and Richmond MP Rishi Sunak the work that is being carried out at Leeming Bar Station, the railway’s headquarters, to prepare the railway for re-opening.

Mr Sunak said: “It’s been a very difficult year for the railway which plays an important part in the local visitor economy.

"I’m pleased to hear the support it has received will enable it to re-open safely and has allowed it to keep up its programme of maintenance and improvement.

“The small team of staff and volunteers have done a magnificent job to keep the railway alive and then make it ready to welcome back passengers as and when that is safe to do so.”

Last year, Wensleydale Railway received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £368,000 towards the restoration of Leeming Bar’s Victorian station building.

The improvements included exterior repairs and the development of an extensive education and community engagement programme along with the provision of heritage-themed activities.

Carl Les, deputy chairman of the Wensleydale Railway, said “We were very pleased to welcome Rishi to the Leeming Bar site.

“Heritage railways by their very nature are expensive to run as the rolling stock and infrastructure is old and costly to maintain. We rely hugely on volunteers giving of their time and their cash to keep going."