National Railway Museum's director says new funding is "incredible news"

A £15m sum will be invested into the National Railway Museum in York as it hopes to grow as part of the York Central development and become the ‘World’s Railway Museum’.

The National Railway Museum sits within the area of the York Central development and its director, Judith McNicol, said the funding was “incredible news”.

“The £15 million package is a major milestone in our transformational journey to become the world’s railway museum, globally relevant and open for all,” she said.

“It will help us attract upwards of 1.4 million visitors to both museum sites and fulfil our role as the cultural gateway to York Central.”

York Central, one of the largest city centre brownfield regeneration sites in England, is also set to add £1.16bn to the local economy, according to developers.

Coun Kallum Taylor, who represents the ward where York Central is, has had long held concerns, including a lack of affordable homes and delays in development.

He said: "Of course, it's good news for the Railway Museum, it's just a shame that, due how they've gone about them, their future plans are clouded by how they don't really have their local community, and too many across the city, with them.

“Their admirable aspiration to be globally relevant will fall a little bit flat if they don't change how they engage with the people living and working around them, here in York.

“It's still not too late for them to adjust their plans so that they don't remove residents' only direct and always available route to their city centre while still being able to share all of their good stuff with the world."

The Budget also included a permanent extension to tax relief for theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries.

Sir Ian Blatchford, chief executive and director of the Science Museum Group said: “This £15 million investment in our ambitious plans for the National Railway Museum represents a strong vote of confidence in the transformative work underway right across the Science Museum Group, while the continuation of vital tax relief included in the Budget will be hugely welcomed by all in our sector.”