North Yorkshire Moors Railway cancel 1940s event this autumn as season postponement is extended

The 1940s-themed Railway in Wartime weekend in October usually attracts around 30,000 visitors, but will not go ahead in 2020.

The NYMR normally begin running services on the heritage line in April after a winter break, but have postponed their season indefinitely this year.

They have already cancelled their 1960s music festival and several other events.

With most of their staff furloughed, it has proved logistically too challenging to plan the wartime weekend, as well as costly in a year when railway managers expect to see a £1million drop in revenue.

NYMR general manager Chris Price said:

“The cancellation of this year’s Railway in Wartime event will no doubt come as a terrible blow to our incredible staff, volunteers and re-enactors who work so hard to make this event happen each and every year.

“However, the three-day event welcomes over 30,000 visitors, and involves many, many man-hours to both plan and execute. 95 per cent of our staff are currently furloughed; we just don’t have the resource at present to pull this off.

“Not to mention, the railway is forecasting a loss of more than £1million over the upcoming weeks and the upfront costs of the Railway in Wartime event are extremely high. Given the current uncertainties as a result of COVID-19, we have yet to confirm an opening date for the 2020 season, and the next 12-24 months are going to be a challenge.

“To keep the railway sustainable, difficult decisions are having to be made.”

Heritage railways are registered charities and cannot claim compensation for business interruption or government aid.

The NYMR's management fear they will have to take out loans to finance the line, placing it into significant debt when it re-opens.

They have asked for donations from the public to help the railway survive. To donate £10, text 'NYMR' to 70085. If you wish to give more, add the amount onto the end of the message.