STAFF and volunteers at a crowd-pulling North Yorkshire steam railway are feeling chuffed today after being awarded a £312,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Ken Kitching at Pickering Station, which is to be restored with the help of National Lottery funding

Ken Kitching, chief executive of North Yorkshire Moors Railway Enterprises plc, said: "We're overjoyed with the news and look forward to seeing the project completed after many years of planning.

"This is the icing on the cake for the railway in its 25th anniversary year."

The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will go towards a £416,000 project to restore the Grade II listed Pickering Station to its former glory.

It is one of five heritage lottery awards handed out to Yorkshire in the latest round of lottery grants today, which has also seen more than £220,000 go towards replacement of a church roof at St Hilda's Catholic Church in Whitby.

The church closed in December, 1997, following falls of plaster.

Keighley and Worth Valley railway trust in West Yorkshire got almost £600,000, while Halifax got £659,000 to help renew the town centre. Bradford synagogue got £70,800.

The Pickering scheme is intended to return the station, which was designed by the noted Victorian architect G T Andrew, to its original appearance of 1847.

Mr Kitching said: "The station, which is the southern terminus of the 18-mile preserved line, requires major structural works.

"Work will be undertaken restoring the original windows and doors, repairing the shop and caf floors, as well as attention to the station roof. The original booking office will also be reinstated."

Ryedale MP John Greenway, who supported the moors railway's bid for grant aid, said: "I'm delighted that they have got this money.''

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