The UK’s busiest heritage railway has begun discussions with the engineering construction industry’s skills body on working together to enhance railway engineering skills.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has reported that its senior representatives met with senior representatives of at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) this week, at NYMR’s Motive Power Depot (MPD) in Grosmont.
The Railway hopes that this initial meeting will lead to initiatives to improve skills and training – including through enhancements to its existing apprenticeship programme – and to acquire equipment provision for its railway’s mechanical operations.
The meeting sought to identify opportunities for training, and for engineering construction employers to donate equipment to support the Yorkshire railway’s preservation and engineering work.
The ECITB is an employer-led body, backed by the government, that supports training and skills development in engineering and construction. It works with other organisations, and with the engineering construction companies that are its members, to providing funding for training initiatives.
Mark Rae, North-East Relationship Manager at the ECITB, pledged to follow up the meeting by informing engineering construction industry companies about the work carried out at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and to encourage them to visit the Railway and consider what support they might offer.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs train service along an eighteen-mile route between Pickering and Grosmont, and last year celebrated its half-centenary. It sees working with the engineering construction body as aligning with its is wider strategy to sustain the Railway and its mechanical operations for the long term by using innovation and collaboration.
“Having worked with the ECITB for nearly three decades in previous roles, I know firsthand the incredible impact that they can have on developing engineering skills. We’re looking forward to exploring how this collaboration can benefit the NYMR’s team and help us to continue our work in preserving our rich railway heritage.”
Yvonne Day, Head of People, North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Responses
Sorry but I dismiss this being the busiest heritage railway as mentioned at the start of this article. I have been visiting and supporting this railway since my first visit back in 2003/2004 and sad to see the state of it today. All they are driven by is money and the lack of events and other special events of lack of them also shows the lack of imagination from certain management roles. All railways are under money pressures, but other railways such as the Great Central Railway put on so many events over the years to bring in the crowds and extra money. They , to me are far more busier that the NYMR
I have found that the East Lancashire Heritage Railway to be very popular, especially at there Bolton Street Station on a normal weekend, we took some American cousins there and they were amazed just how busy it was. I have spent some time at the Ramsbottom Railway station on the ELR on there gala days and remember one on a Friday when a train load of over 300 people got off one train and they all crossed over on the foot bridge which was vibrating due to all the people walking in step over it, now that’s busy.
You are ignorant of the fact that the NYMR provide a daily service from end of March to
the beginning of November whereas the ELR DOES NOT.
All I was stating that the ELR can be very busy at times, they do have the resources to tun DMU service to bury and link up directly with the Manchester Metro System.