The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has reopened following lockdown and is on track for a busy season ahead.

With the charity reporting a high volume of enquiries for dates after June 20, the next stage of the Government roadmap, Nadia Jefferson-Brown beat the rush and enjoyed a steam train ride with all the family from Pickering to Whitby.

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'WHY don’t we just drive to Whitby?’ my youngest son asked as we set off in the car from York to Pickering, from where the NYMR’s steam locomotive would take us on a 90-minute trip through North Yorkshire’s glorious countryside to the coastal town.

‘It’s more about the experience than the destination,’ I explained more than once as we crawled along in traffic, delayed by the usual congestion and roadworks.

With minutes to spare, we reached the platform in Pickering to watch the coal-fired locomotive arrive in an impressive cloud of steam and smoke, to the delight of onlookers, including my 11-year-old.

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Face masks are mandatory on the platform and on board, and with the volunteer-run NYMR currently operating at a reduced capacity, it was easy to sit back and relax in our socially-distanced and spotlessly-clean restored carriage.

The NYMR reopened on May 15, coinciding with my parents’ first visit since August 2020. It was the perfect way to toast our reunion against the moving backdrop of rolling hills, rivers and waterfalls, passing through picture-postcard Grosmont and Goathland.

Our trip was hot on the heels of Hollywood star Tom Cruise's recent appearance on the North York Moors near Pickering for the filming of the latest Mission Impossible 7. 

Hundreds of crew were seen setting up for filming in the village of Levisham, which appeared to involve the use of a modified train and tracks.

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Tom Cruise in North Yorkshire Picture: PA

The North York Moors have also famously featured in Heartbeat; the village of Goathland was known as ITV's Aidensfield, and Goathland Station is known to millions of cinema-goers as Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter.  

With about three hours in Whitby we escaped the bustle of town and built up an appetite on the beach followed by a blustery walk along the pier, before tucking into the obligatory, take away fish and chips before our leisurely return journey home.

It was a grand day out, ideal for three generations of our family, and a treat well worth waiting in traffic for.

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What you need to know:

Until the NYMR is able to fully reopen without social distancing restrictions, it is operating two daily return services from Pickering to Whitby and one return service from Whitby to Pickering (excluding Sundays).

These leave Pickering at 9.20am and 12pm, returning at 2pm and 5.10pm on Monday to Saturday. On Sunday, services depart at 9.30am and 11.55am, returning at 2pm and 4.55pm.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is releasing tickets in batches in line with the Governments roadmap and says it is receiving a high volume of enquiries for dates after June 20. It hopes to announce future services shortly.

For further details and tickets, visit www.nymr.co.uk