Heritage railway to launch track extension

A heritage railway in East Yorkshire is marking a new route extension with a special event which will see a train run on a track section for the first time since the 1950s.

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway, which opened in May 2015, operates from the village of Fimber along a section of the former Malton and Driffield Junction Railway.

Work to extend the route began in April and the longer journey will now take passengers along part of the original railway's track bed.

Ivan Merino, infrastructure director, said: "It's very exciting to be able to launch this section of track. Our members have worked in all weathers to get extension finished and have done a great job."

Operations director Martin Jones said the extension had been made possible by years of fundraising and profits generated by the railway, which had been reinvested into the project.

He said: "It means that we can travel far with the train and it increases dwell time, which means people will spend longer on the Yorkshire Railway looking around."

The ceremony to formally launch the extension will take place at 10:45 BST on Sunday, with a "special train" departing at 11:00, organisers said.

Jones said it would be the first time a train had run along the original track bed since 1958.

Finance director Phil Robson said: "It's going to be a great day with a lot happening."

At the event, there will be 20 static engines on show, including three Lister D engines.

The Spurn landship, a recreation of a wind-powered transport vehicle that used to run on a military railway at Spurn Point in East Yorkshire, will also be on display.

"We really have tried to make the extension launch a special one and we look forward to welcoming many visitors to site," Robson said.

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