Top tips for enjoying the North York Moors by steam train

The North York Moors stretch from the NE coast of England inland towards York.  They are a spectacular, vast area of rolling moorland and there’s no better option than to explore the North York Moors via its very own heritage steam railway. 

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Exploring the North York Moors by train

The North York Moors Railway runs from Pickering to Whitby and connects some of the best North York Moors attractions and provides multiple different opportunities for day trips.  Take in the beauty of the moors from the comfort of a vintage railway carriage; use the railway as a way to get from A to B in style accessing linear or circular walks or visit Whitby for a seaside day out.  Alternatively, focus entirely on the railway whether you are into the steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, engineering, photography or purely the nostalgia. 

There are so many ways to enjoy the railway, whatever your interests.  There are tea rooms at most stations, plenty going on to sit and watch and (although not well promoted) there is a free app which you can download to explore Goathland and Grosmont stations, including an audio tour.  It’s the perfect destination for celebrating a special occasion and there are plenty of things to do for enthusiasts such the engine shed tours.

Where to stay when visiting the NYMR

If you want to make the most of a full day on the railway then I would recommend staying in Pickering or Whitby which lie at either end of the line.

Where to stay in Pickering:

• Best Western Forest and Vale Hotel
• The Black Swan Inn 
• The White Swan Inn

Where to stay in Whitby:

• The Resolution Hotel
• Bagdale Hall
• Duke of York 
• The Dolphin Hotel

Train ticket options and flexibility

The ticket options allow flexibility in pricing depending on what you want to do.  An all-day rover ticket allows you to get on and off wherever you like and also includes an annual pass.  This was a useful option for us as we used the all day ticket to travel from Pickering on the train to Whitby for a seaside day trip which didn’t leave us any time to hop on and off so we went back the following day and used our annual pass to travel to Grosmont station to explore the engine sheds.  If you know that you only want to go one stop or two stops up the line, maybe to visit a particular station or as a stepping off point for a walk, then you can get cheaper tickets.

Celebrating a special occasion?

The NYMR railway is a brilliant destination for a special occasion.  If you have a cause to celebrate or just want an extra special day out as a treat then, booked in advance, there are Pullman dining options, gin tasting, beer tasting, wine and cheese trains, and footplate and cab experiences for those who want to see what it’s like to be in the hot seat.  You can charter a whole carriage for a special occasion and for the kids there are Santa Specials at Christmas.

Even a regular day trip can be made that extra bit special – you might choose to visit on a special heritage day or for one of the regular steam galas. 

Join an engine shed tour – not just for nerds

We joined a ‘hi-vis jacket’ tour of the engine sheds which we found out about as a result of getting chatting to one of the wonderful volunteers – an ex train driver who now leads group tours.  The engine sheds are accessible from Grosmont station.  It’s worth checking in advance if you have accessibility needs as the tour we went on wouldn’t have been very suitable for those who are less mobile or wheelchair users.  There is an extra charge for the tours.

The engine shed tour was excellent and was pitched well for non-experts and experts alike.  We spent a good hour or two being taken, in our hi-vis jackets, through the engine sheds, finding out about the restoration projects, watching the preservation teams in action and getting up super-close to the enormous locomotives.  There were several of us on the tour that took the opportunity of being in and amongst the engines to explore photography opportunities whilst others were getting into engine cabs or asking more detailed questions.

5 things to know before you go

Full information on things to do, timetables and pricing can be found on the North York Moors Railway website.

1. If you book in advance online you don’t actually get issued your tickets online.  You get a booking confirmation which you show in person at the station ticket office to claim your tickets on the day.  Make sure you leave enough time to do this on the day.
2. Most stations will need to be accessed by car although there are mainline rail connections at Whitby and further public transport, car parking information and sat nav post codes on the website.  There is an additional charge for parking.  We found it useful to have cash as this did help beat the queues.
3. There are tea rooms at most stations where you can get light bites to eat and places where you can eat picnics.  There are toilets on board trains and at stations.
4. Accessibility information on the website is comprehensive.  There are fully accessible carriages with accessible toilet facilities and guides to accessibility for each station.  Wheelchairs are available and there is free entry for carers.
5. Some services (or parts of services) are diesel only because of restrictions on the lines – these are indicated on the timetable – and depending on issues on the day, locomotives can be swapped at short notice.