The occasion was the first consultative meeting of the board of the NYMR’s owning charity, the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Limited. Trust Chairman Roger Heath introduced Dr Paul Salveson, a director of the Esk Valley Railway Development Company, who explained the background to his work rejuvenating rural railways throughout the UK.

Dr Salveson is also general manager of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, and told of experiences in Europe, including lines around Dusseldorf in Germany, where local ownership and control has lead to a 300 fold increase in usage, thus funding brand new trains on the routes for probably the first time!

At this stage, the Esk Valley Railway Development Company is looking to increase usage of existing services, and is working with existing train operator ARRIVA and local authorities, including the North York Moors National Park, who were also represented at the meeting.

After hearing from NYMR consultant Tom Greaves details of progress on the separate project to rebuild the southern link to Pickering from the York to Scarborough line, and associated proposals to run a through service to Whitby from Pickering, the trust board discussed both sets of developments with the Esk Valley Railway Development Company and National Park officials, and both organisations agreed to increase links and working together.

The NYMR reaffirmed its position as one of the major sustainable means of accessing the beauty of the National Park without damaging that beauty, and its eagerness to work with both the Esk Valley Railway Development Company and the National Park in bringing in more visitors by rail to the area.

The NYMR trust board will be discussing whether the NYMR wishes to develop past pilot operations on the Esk Valley branch at its next meeting on 29 November 2002, and NYMR officers will be attending future Esk Valley Railway Development Company meeting to discuss future developments of operations on and over the Esk Valley branch, including the possibility of taking heavy goods traffic by rail instead of over the National Parks roads, which could include freight operation on both the NYMR and the Esk Valley.

All present found it a most helpful and informative meeting and look forward to the organisations present working together to develop rail usage and tourism in the sensitive environment in the future.

Contacts:

The Esk Valley Railway Development Company: Neil Buxton, Co Secretary, Tel. 01947 811800

Association of Community-Rail Partnerships:Dr Paul Salveson , General Manager Tel. 01484 549737

North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Limited: Steven Hogg Vice Chairman Tel. 07718 682077

Information from: Association of Community-Rail Partnerships (ACoRP), Brian Jackson Centre, New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP Phone: 01484 549737 Fax: 01484 544234

30 November 2002