A HERITAGE railway that has been running for 50 years has launched a major fundraising drive to keep it going for another half century.

Some £2.5 million is needed to secure the future of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).

The railway has already been given a £4.6 million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant, as part of its £9.2 million sustainability project, called the Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey Appeal, but the NYMR has to raise around another £2.5 million from members, passengers and the public over the next five years.

Trust chairman John Bailey said: “Fifty years ago our founders had the vision and determination to re-open the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Today we face a challenge of similar scale.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from the National Lottery. With its backing, we can plan confidently both the implementation of essential projects and our appeal for the balance of funds required.

“This should ensure that, fifty years hence, people will still be learning from and enjoying the experience of steam across the Moors.”

More than 350,000 passengers travel on the steam railway every year. It is owned and operated by an independent charitable trust and has no public funding, with day to day operation of the railway carried out by volunteers who also work on infrastructure, the railway vehicles and the experience of visitors.

Railway staff have explained that the funds are needed for everything from bridge repairs to the construction of a new carriage shed, to accessible carriages and improved education and volunteering schemes.

In a film produced for the campaign, general manager Chris Price said bridges that have been carrying the railway since they were fitted by the North Eastern Railway more than 100 years ago need attention.

At the same time, a new shed would keep the historic carriages out of the worst of the winter weather and safe from vandalism.

For more information or to support the appeal visit www.nymr.co.uk/yorkshires-magnificent-journey