THE first passenger train has steamed into the new-look Pickering Station – which has a roof over its two platforms for the first time since 1951.

Engine 76079, a Standard Four, hauled the first passenger train into the station and under the train shed roof.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has invested £500,000 in restoring the station roof. It replicates the original GT Andrew design of the 1840s and adds to the charm of the Grade II listed building. The project is part of a broader programme of regeneration at the station amounting to a £1.5m investment.

This has already seen a new education centre and visitor centre built. A fundraising appeal has been running to give people a chance to sponsor a slate for £5. This has already raised £25,000 and it is still not too late to make a donation. Donations can be sent to North Yorkshire Moors Historical Railway Trust, 12 Park Street, Pickering YO18 7AJ, marked for the attention of Bryan Draper.