The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the busiest heritage railways in the world, and one of the most scenic. Steam and vintage diesel locomotives haul trains 24 miles from the market town of Pickering up through the glacial gorge of Newton Dale, over the moor to Goathland and down to Grosmont, where selected services carry on along the Esk Valley line to the harbour at Whitby. The line began as George Stephenson's horse-drawn Whitby and Pickering Railway of 1836, and many of its bridges and stations date from the 1840s.
Buy an all-line Day Rover and hop on and off as often as you like, or take a shorter journey between a couple of stations. Every fare-paying adult can take one child aged 4 to 15 free on standard services, children under 4 travel free, and well-behaved dogs are welcome on a short lead for £3 a day.
The stations
Pickering: the southern terminus, restored in 1930s style under a rebuilt copy of G. T. Andrews' 1847 roof, with a tea room, gift shop and the railway's customer services. Postcode YO18 7AJ.
Levisham: a tiny station kept as it looked in 1912, at the bottom of Newton Dale. Walk up to Levisham village and its pub, to Skelton Tower, or across Levisham Moor to the Hole of Horcum.
Newtondale Halt: a request stop with no road access, reached only by train, on foot or by mountain bike. Tell the guard if you want to get off, and wave clearly to stop a train.
Goathland: the celebrity station, Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter film and Aidensfield in Heartbeat. The village, Mallyan Spout waterfall and the Rail Trail walk to Grosmont are all close by.
Grosmont: the working heart of the railway, where the engines are maintained. A footpath through the original 1836 horse tunnel leads to the viewing area at the engine sheds, and the station is also on the Esk Valley line.
Whitby: some trains run on from Grosmont along the Esk to Whitby's harbourside station, a few minutes from the swing bridge and the 199 steps.
Dining and experiences
The North Yorkshire Pullman serves seasonal lunches and dinners on the move through the National Park, with autumn services from August to November and Christmas Pullman services from November to January. There are also cream tea and whisky-tasting trains on selected dates, footplate tours and talks, and drive-a-train experiences for those who have always wanted to be the driver. All need booking.
Parking and getting there
The railway's car parks at Pickering, Levisham, Goathland and Grosmont are run by CPS and charge from 9am to 6pm every day: £2 an hour, or £7 a day at Pickering, £6 at Grosmont and £5 at Goathland and Levisham. Blue Badge holders are not exempt. The car parks fill on busy days, so allow time to park and buy tickets. Without a car, take the Esk Valley line to Grosmont or Whitby, or the Coastliner bus to Pickering or Goathland.
Accessibility
Four of the five heritage stations have step-free or ramped access; Newtondale Halt does not. Accessible carriages have wide double doors, portable ramps and an accessible toilet. Call the railway on 01751 472508 at least 10 days before you travel to book a space. See our accessible visits page for more.
Saving Bridge 42
Bridge 42 at Grosmont carries every train over the Murk Esk and has stood since about 1846. The Grade II listed bridge needs urgent repairs to keep trains running through to Whitby, and the railway's appeal passed £400,000 in September 2026, more than halfway to its target. You can donate through the NYMR website.
Dates TBC
🎈 Family days out
🎈 Family days out
🎈 Family days out
