The
North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has raised £130,000 towards the urgent stabilisation of Bridge 42 at Grosmont; it carries every train on NYMR’s railway and supports around 10,000 locomotive movements each year. This funding marks a major milestone in efforts to restore services ahead of the 2026 season, which will begin on 28 March.
NYMR said: “While this represents significant progress, the total cost of the propping works, including hire and removal, is approximately £250,000. With £130,000 already secured, a further £120,000 is still required to fully fund this essential phase of the project. As a registered charity, the NYMR has been able to secure a 20% charitable discount on the propping works, reducing costs by more than £35,000, ensuring that every donation goes further.”
Phil Sash, director of civils at NYMR, added: “Reaching £130,000 is a hugely important milestone for the Bridge 42 project. The temporary propping is essential to stabilise the structure and allow us to safely move forward with both operational planning and the permanent repair works. I would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far, their generosity is directly enabling progress on site and bringing the return of services in 2026 closer.
“Designs for the propping solution are now complete, and work is underway to secure a specialist delivery partner to support the required river works. Foundation details will shortly be submitted to the relevant river authority for approval.”
The permanent repair works are currently estimated at £550,000, and fundraising for this phase will continue alongside the propping works. In total the heritage railway needs to raise £800,000. More information on NYMR and updates on the 2026 season can be found via the website
here.