Due to the unprecedented dry spell the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has made the difficult decision to reduce its services to add further mitigations to avoid risk of lineside fires.

Laura Strangeway, Director of Corporate Services said: “Due to the tinder dry conditions we are experiencing we have made the difficult decision to reduce our planned timetable. It has been particularly dry since Easter and with the dry weather set to continue, we have made the decision to supplement our Steam Locomotive fleet with diesel engines assisting our trains to minimise the risk of further fires.”

“The ground is particularly dry and would require continual rain over several days to make a substantial difference and currently there is no sign of rain forecasted. We are committed to working with our local stakeholders including North York Moors National Park, Game Keepers and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service & Wildfire Group to minimise risk and add additional mitigations.”

“Like most registered charities, we have had to navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic and we are now facing environmental challenges with rising temperatures and increased fuel/coal prices and restrictions. As the busiest heritage railway in the UK, we encourage the public to support the sector by either donating or travelling along the historic line to ensure all communities can enjoy the golden age of steam.”

As a registered charity we care about our lineside and thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as part of our Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey Project we now have a Lineside & Environmental Sustainability Manager to ensure future generations can enjoy the varied North York Moors landscape.

Passengers already booked on a Moors Explorer service will receive an email advising them of their options. Passengers planning to utilise the Moors Explorer service will not be able to with current restrictions. For further information please visit nymr.co.uk or email info@nymr.co.uk