THE Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is celebrating after receiving more than £111,000 to help even more people enjoy its services.
The heritage railway, which has been in operation since 1981, uses part of the former Midland Railway route from Skipton to Ilkley, which was closed by British Railways in 1965.
Now, after a successful application to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the railway’s operators, the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust, will receive a total of £111,800 to make its services more accessible for disabled people.
The money, combined with the railway’s own funds, is enabling the renovation of two British Rail carriages dating from the 1950s at a total cost of more than £220,000. The coaches which will be fitted out with accessible seating, widened doors and ramp access, along with other restorations befitting of the era when they were made.
Work on one of the coaches has been completed and it was put into service a few weeks ago as part of the railway’s festive Polar Express attraction.
The organisation’s finance director, Rob Shaw, welcomed the funding and said how the trust had a long term ambition to extend the railway to Skipton.
He said: “We have 15 carriages, but up to this point we have only had one that could comfortably accommodate a wheelchair. It limits how many people we can carry and as you might expect it gets booked up straightaway.
“Without these coaches we simply could not have accommodated this many disabled people and they would not have been able to travel with us. Either they would have been left at home while the rest of the family enjoyed a day out or the whole family would have had to have missed out.”
One of the first passengers to use the new facility was Mick McKeown and his family from Doncaster.
Mr McKeown’s daughter, Sarah Walker, said: “My dad was over the moon with the entire Polar Express experience. He was amazed at how well he was treated and how easy and painless everything was.
“If the accessible carriage had not been available, then he would not have been able to come with us on our special day out.
“He was able to be pushed up the ramp straight to the table which had no seats so he could glide right in and put his wheelchair’s brakes on. Even with places that have disabled access, it can still be a struggle to position the wheelchair without it being in the way, but there were no such problems here.”
Mr Shaw said the organisation was grateful for the money received from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is administered in the county by North Yorkshire Council.
North Yorkshire Council received £16.9 million from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £5.4 million from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to support programmes, projects, and activities up to March 2025.
He said: “Grants like this are critical because without them we wouldn’t have the funds to do the things we want to do. The railway pays its own way in terms of how it operates, but it does not generate enough funds to allow for capital projects such as this.”
More than 80,000 people visit the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway every year, from ‘heritage hunters’ who are interested in rail history, to family groups looking for a memorable day out.
Mr Shaw said: “We have had the unofficial title of ‘the friendly line’ for decades; increasingly, we are becoming a bigger player.
“We are doing relatively well with the help of grants and our passenger numbers are increasing, but we haven’t lost that ethos.
“Our membership is still quite small, and this makes us who we are.”
But, he added, the trust had big plans. He said: “We have lots in the pipeline. We are halfway through a project to rebuild platforms two and three at Bolton Abbey, including the erection of a historic footbridge.
“We also have longer term desires to perhaps reach Skipton one day and connect the railway to the national network and we are minded to improve our local maintenance facilities at Embsay station.”
Councillor Simon Myers, who represents Mid-Craven on North Yorkshire Council and is its executive member for culture, was chair of the appraisal panel for the North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund’s ‘Building Pride in our Places’ grant programme.
He said: “I would like to congratulate all involved for the terrific job they are doing at the railway. This is a perfect example of how this fund can be used to improve facilities for people across North Yorkshire and beyond.
“I was delighted to be able to see the railway for myself and take a seat on one of the newly restored coaches. To see all those beaming faces, both children and adults, was fantastic.
“It is important that facilities such as this are accessible to all and to be able to see Mr McKeown and his family enjoying the experience together showed what a great investment this has been.”
For more information on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund visit North Yorkshire Council’s website at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/uk-shared-prosperity-fund.
More information on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway can be found on its website at www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/
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