MORE than 50,000 visitors will flock to York when the city celebrates the railway industry's bicentenary next year.

The National Railway Museum (NRM) will host a nine-day spectacular, and business leaders believe the event will be a magnet for tourists and attract thousands of pounds in sponsorship.

The ambitious plans were outlined to delegates attending a conference at the award-winning museum yesterday to map out the celebration of 200 years of rail locomotion.

Only days ago, the city learned it could also be in line to host the prestigious five-day Royal Ascot horse racing festival at York Racecourse in 2005.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, believes the shot-in-the-arm for the city's economy from that event alone could run into millions.

The NRM event, planned for the May half-term, will feature rides, demonstrations, music, film, theatre, a vintage fair and examples of the very latest rail vehicles.

Andrew Scott, head of the NRM, said he was hoping to engage the railway industry to support the celebrations.

He said: "We're trying to move the idea on from simply being a heritage project in York to a nationwide campaign for the railway industry as a whole. We want to attract as many people as possible. Not just rail enthusiasts, but families."

Speakers including Christopher Garnett, chief executive of GNER, addressed the delegates and invited them to make suggestions about how they would like to see the plans go forward.

The NRM will host its biggest collection during the extravaganza with celebration rides on the restored City of Truro - the first British locomotive to reach 100mph.

Mrs Cruddas said the possibility of hosting Ascot in mid-June 2005 could mean a bumper few weeks for York businesses.

She said it was difficult to measure the benefit in specific economic terms. But she was in no doubt that hosting Royal Ascot would mean millions of pounds for city businesses.

Ascot officials could switch their 2005 Royal festival to another track while £180 million redevelopment work takes place.

They must decide later this year whether the Berkshire course can host the spectacular in spite of the building work.

If they decide the course cannot hold the meeting then it will move -- and York is in the frame.

Such a move has already been backed by key figures in the horse racing world, including top Middleham trainer Mark Johnston.

Mrs Cruddas said: "It's very difficult to put a figure economically on how much Royal Ascot would benefit tourism.

"About 250,000 racegoers are attracted to York racecourse every year and many racegoers who normally would visit Royal Ascot would go to York's Ebor meeting."

Updated: 10:39 Thursday, April 03, 2003