York: National Railway Museum to demolish Sidings building

Inspectors visited the Bullnose building, which has been out of use since 2009, on three occasions in the last 12 months to ensure its structure was not reliant on the adjacent Sidings building.

The are plans to knock down the Sidings to make way for a public square next to the museum, as part of the Central Hall plans expected to be finished by 2025.

The Bullnose, which is Grade II listed, was not found to be reliant on the Sidings, according to a report by consulting engineers Price & Myers.

Central Hall plans (Credit: Feilden Fowles)

A spokesperson for the National Railway Museum said: “The Sidings building is a former railway mess hall and until its closure in 2022, it was used by the National Railway Museum as office space.

“It is not a listed building and has planning approval for demolition to enable the museum’s Central Hall building and Museum Square to be completed by the York Central Partnership.

“This received reserved matters planning approval from City of York Council in August 2022 and outline planning in 2019.

“Vision 2025 will restore and refurbish much of the National Railway Museum’s historic railway building heritage including the Stables, Station Hall and Goods Office, which are all being refurbished to retain and conserve original railway features.

“Grade II listed Station Hall, for example, is receiving a new roof as part of a multimillion-pound refurbishment programme.”

Meanwhile, the museum is also exploring ways to restore the Bullnose building, originally an office and house for the railway’s coal manager, which has not been used since it was a homeless shelter up until 2009.

The Bullnose building

The spokesperson added: “The building is now owned by the National Railway Museum following a transfer of ownership from Network Rail in 2021.

“The museum is looking at a range of options to restore the building in future and it has been renamed the ‘Mineral Office’ to reflect the building’s former use.”

The City of York Council’s planning committee approved the National Railway Museum’s Central Hall plans in August last year.

It is described as “a new welcome space and gallery located between the museum’s Great Hall and Station Hall” and will connect other museum buildings.

A ‘Railway Futures Gallery’ showcasing the latest innovations in rail technology will be featured, as well as a café overlooking the new museum square, a shop, flexible event space and new visitor facilities.

It hopes to open in time for the National Railway Museum’s 50th anniversary.

Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum previously said the plans “will allow the museum to realise its potential as the world’s railway museum by improving our offer, welcoming more visitors, and helping us to inspire the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers.”

She added: “The museum aims to be the cultural heart of York Central.”