Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire is to benefit from a donation of two-and-a-half miles of disused track.

The donation will allow the Railway to replace worn sections of track and points along its twenty-two-mile route – one of the country’s longest heritage lines.

The Railway is based at Leeming Bar, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, and runs through the Yorkshire Dales between Scruton and Redmire, via Leeming Bar, Bedale and Leyburn.

Wensleydale Railway welcomes around fifty thousand visitors each year, offering a range of trips and seasonal events. It also hosts educational activities for local schools, enabling students to learn about life in Victorian Yorkshire.

The Railway runs with the support of three hundred volunteers, who carry out roles including maintenance, staffing shops and operating trains. Volunteers not only contribute to the visitor attraction, but also learn new skills and make friends.

Commercial waste management company Suez Recycling and Recovery UK is donating the track from its Tees Valley energy-from-waste (EfW) facility,

Suez has provided waste treatment services in Tees Valley for seventeen years, serving the local authorities of Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland. The company says that it is “delighted” to both support Wensleydale Railway and to save the track from scrap.

Another firm, A Cowley & Sons, is overseeing the safe removal and transport of the rails, which will travel thirty miles from Teesside to Leeming Bar. Work to remove the track and break it down to be transported began in early May and will be completed in early June.

Steve Patterson, Regional Director North for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said: “We’re pleased to give the disused rails from our Tees Valley facility a second life on the Wensleydale Railway. Replacing worn sections of the line will help keep trains running for years to come, giving people access to the natural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, as well as providing a great opportunity for volunteers to support the maintenance of the railway whilst learning new skills.”

Neil Guest, a volunteer on the Wensleydale Railway said: “We’re very grateful to SUEZ for donating the rail sidings. The donation is a significant contribution to the maintenance of the Wensleydale Railway and will assist in safeguarding the railway for future generations to enjoy.

“We’re always welcoming volunteers to the Wensleydale Railway, so anyone who may have a day to spare, to learn new skills and meet new people, please get in touch via our our website. Indeed, following the donation of the additional tracks, there’s plenty to do and get involved!”