YORK will be the focus of massive celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of rail locomotion.

That is what delegates attending a conference to plan events for the Bicentennial year, in 2004, were told today at the National Railway Museum.

Keynote speakers, including Christopher Garnett, chief executive of GNER, and Andrew Scott, head of the NRM, were addressing hundreds of delegates at the award-winning museum about the plans for the massive celebrations.

John Ingham, head of fundraising at the NRM, said the largest collection the museum had ever had would be in place for the special year.

He said: "York will undoubtedly be at the focus of the celebrations. It is a good historic base for celebrations of 200 years of rail locomotion.

"We will have the biggest show of locomotives we have ever had and will be importing some 'stars' from other areas."

Updated: 11:32 Wednesday, April 02, 2003