A HERITAGE railway has received a £2.25m grant to secure its future.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has secured the new funding through Santander UK and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

NYMR closed during both lockdowns, reopening when it was able to do so in line with government guidance and social distancing measures.

The CBILS has enabled the trust to keep operating and helped it to make changes so that it can continue welcoming visitors and diversify its services for years to come.

“It’s an understatement to say that this year has been challenging for us,” said Garry Mumford, finance director at NYMR.

“But it brought out the best in so many ways. We’ve had phenomenal support from our local community, which means so much.

“Additionally, our relationship with Santander has strengthened immeasurably.

“We share a common goal, and this funding has enabled us to retain our people and keep operating with plans for the future.”

NYMR is an award-winning, educational charitable trust operating from Pickering to Whitby.

It seeks to preserve and restore steam locomotives, stations and infrastructure, as well as passing on specialist skills, knowledge and employment opportunities.

Pre-coronavirus, the railway carried more than 300,000 visitors every year with 100 full-time staff, 50 seasonal staff and a team of 500 volunteers.

Brian McLelland, relationship director at Santander UK, added: “It has been a pleasure to learn about this important historical attraction railway.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to support the charity through this extremely challenging period.

“We look forward to building our relationship with Garry and the team at NYMR further over the months and years ahead.”

Santander has launched a business support programme, called Survive and Revive, which aims to support businesses through the pandemic.

For more information, visit santanderbreakthrough.co.uk