Changes could be coming to a major Yorkshire attraction under new plans.

An application to install 1,870 solar panels on the roof of the National Railway Museum’s Great Hall as part of a refurbishment of the building has been lodged with York Council.

Plans from the museum stated the comprehensive project would include an upgrade of the inside of the Leeman Road building.

They added it was part of wider efforts to revamp the York site and its sister attraction Locomotion, in County Durham, to turn them into the world’s leading railway museums.

The Mallard, in the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum in York.

placeholder image — The Mallard, in the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum in York.

The application comes as work is currently ongoing to build a new Central Hall which is set to create a new entrance to the museum along with more exhibition space.

Those works follow the revamp of Station Hall, also part of the masterplan for the attraction.

Plans for the Great Hall would see the building’s roof panels coated in a waterproof seal and elements of the structure redecorated ahead of the installation of the solar panels.

The application stated the array would generate an estimated yearly energy output of 783,616 kWh.

They added it came as part of efforts to reduce the museum’s energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2033, compared to 2019 levels.

Plans stated: “The package of works is considered to enhance the general appearance of the building as part of museum’s continued investment in the site and there are no impacts of the development, which outweigh the benefits of improving the sustainable design and performance of Great Hall.”

The museum stated its wider revamp of the Great Hall would see the exhilarating space reimagined, including with a new layout.

It added the changes would allow them to share stories not yet told and give voice to the countless men and women who lived, worked and travelled on the railways.

The museum’s website stated: “A reimagining of the museum’s most exhilarating space will see our iconic collections displayed in themes which demonstrate the impact of the railways on our lives.

“The scale, grace and power of our locomotive collection will stretch minds, connect people and reveal treasured stories that inspire the railway pioneers of tomorrow.”

The Great Hall is home to some of the museum’s most famous locomotives including the LNER Class A4 4468, otherwise known as Mallard.

It set the world record for the fastest steam locomotive when it reached speeds of 126mph in 1938 which remains unbroken.