To mark fifty years as an iconic heritage railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has announced an anniversary campaign gifting fifty family passes to lucky finders of its special Golden Tickets.

The campaign launches today (13 March), and the Railway is encouraging families to “keep their eyes peeled” for news on how to claim one of the limited-edition golden tickets.

Clues and updates will appear in local Yorkshire newspapers, radio stations and across the NYMR’s social media channels.

The Railway has also confirmed the following events for 2023:

• 50th Anniversary Steam Gala (21-24 September)
• Heritage Open Days (8-17 September)
• *New Event* – Through the Decades 40s, 50s, 60s, & 70s (14-15 October)
• Santa Specials (25-26 November and 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 and 23-24 December)

The charity will continue to present its passengers with the opportunity to explore 24 miles of glorious heritage railway, taking in the breathtaking scenery of the North York Moors National Park, including Goathland railway station, known to millions as the filming location for the iconic Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Click here to visit the NYMR website and enter the Golden Ticket competition

For more information and to support the NYMR through another 50 years, click here.

Chris Price, CEO at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, commented: “Not only are we gearing up for another exciting season opening, but this will be our most rewarding yet. This year is a momentous one for everyone at the NYMR, our volunteers, our visitors and the heritage railway sector. For the last 50 years, since we first officially opened on 1st May 1973, we like to believe that we’ve played a vital role in providing an authentic evocation of the steam age for everyone to enjoy, helping preserve the past and protect the legacy of steam travel for future generations”.

“It’s been a challenging few years given events that were often completely out of our control but this year we’re going full steam ahead as we celebrate every aspect of the NYMR, honouring and thanking our supporters for keeping us on track for the last five decades and inspiring us to continue to drive forward into the next 50 years.
“We’ve also listened to our visitors and simplified our ticket offering with the view to providing better value for money, to enable more visitors to experience the railway.”