THE organisers of “Britain’s biggest rail celebration” say they are expecting many thousands of people to attend the summer event at York’s National Railway Museum.
Railfest 2012 will see an outdoor space the size of 11 football pitches to the back of Station Hall filled with locomotives from the museum’s collection and from around the country.
The nine-day festival, which starts on June 2 and is being presented as part of the York 800 celebrations, will bring together more than 30 record-breaking locomotives which have made their mark on rail history.
Among the trains at the event will be Mallard, holder of the record for the fastest steam locomotive at 126mph; Tornado, the newest mainline steam locomotive in operation; and Mardy Monster, the most powerful industrial steam locomotive built for use in the UK.
Steve Davies, director of the National Railway Museum, said: “Our previous Railfest in 2004 celebrated the bicentenary of Britain’s railways and proved to be a huge success by attracting over 60,000 visitors. This year we hope to top this by providing an even bigger and better event. We’re certain that rail fans young and old will be well catered for and we look forward to making 2012 a year to remember at the National Railway Museum.”
Joining the locomotive line-up will be a selection of railway vehicles, including a sailing train and demonstrations of unusual railway equipment, such as snow ploughs and leaf blowers.
Visitors will be able to climb into the driver’s cab of locomotives, take a ride behind working engines and speak to inspiring railway characters, a spokesman for the museum said. Hundreds of stalls, refreshment areas and live music are also promised.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “This is certainly going to be one of the biggest and most exciting events in Yorkshire in 2012. It looks set to be a record breaker in itself, attracting thousands of visitors from not only Yorkshire but from throughout the UK and overseas.”
For more details, visit nrm.org.uk/railfest2012
Tickets can be bought by visiting the website or by phoning 0870 870 4840. Ticket prices start at £8 for children aged two to 15 and £13 for adults. Family tickets and group offers are available.
Full steam ahead
THIS year York has a lot to celebrate. It’s the 800th anniversary of the city’s Royal Charter and with events planned all year, it is surely going to be a bumper year for tourism.
One of the biggest spectacles will be Railfest 2012 at the National Railway Museum. It’s Britain’s biggest rail celebration and the organisers are expecting thousands of people to attend the summer event.
An outdoor space, the size of 11 football pitches, will be filled with locomotives from the museum’s collection and others, including famous record-breaking locomotives such as Mallard and Tornado.
Other records may be broken during the nine-day summer festival. Steve Davies at the museum says he hopes to top the last Railfest in 2004, and promises an even bigger, better event.
With this year so special for York his timing couldn’t be better.
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