Grade II-listed bridge to reopen after repairs

A Grade II-listed bridge on a heritage railway line is due to reopen after essential restoration work to its stonework and arches.

Bridge 42, at Grosmont, is North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR)'s "hardest working" structure and supports around 10,000 locomotive movement every year, the company said.

The bridge, built in around 1846, will reopen on 23 May, with the full line from Pickering to Whitby opening for the season from 1 June, it has been announced.

A NYMR spokesperson said: "After 180 years of faithful service, Bridge 42 now needs urgent repairs to keep trains running safely into the future."

The bridge's reopening date had to be pushed back from the May bank holiday weekend after the train company discovered more work needed to be done.

Laura Strangeway, CEO of the NYMR, added: "Work to prop Bridge 42 continues at pace and substantial progress has been made.

"However, initial excavation work and test results have shown that further work is needed than initially anticipated, which has extended the programme of works."

A full repair programme will take place over the closed season during the winter of 2026/27, which will restore the bridge to its "long-term structural integrity and ensure its preservation for future generations", Strangeway said.

As a registered charity, the NYMR said it relied on its supporters to fund projects of the scale that require specialist materials, skilled contractors, and careful working in a sensitive environment.

Strangeway added: "The NYMR is much more than a tourist attraction - it is a vital heritage, economic, and community asset that boosts the regional economy, protects railway heritage, and supports local livelihoods."

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