RailFest, the celebration of 200 years of railways, has proved a huge crowd puller at York's National Railway Museum. ALAN HYDE, corporate affairs manager for GNER, examines the wider significance of the event.

YORK is once again at the heart of the national railway map this week as tens of thousands of people from all over the country flock to the National Railway Museum's RailFest, a celebration of 200 years of Britain's railways.

It is heartening to see so many people, young and old and, dare I say, those with and without anoraks, enjoying the locomotive legends of yesteryear. The star attraction, naturally, is the Flying Scotsman, which was recently saved both for the nation and for York where it will take up permanent residence, after a well-orchestrated fundraising campaign by the NRM.

As well as the opportunity to marvel at the engineering excellence of vintage rolling stock, RailFest also pays homage to the pioneering role of the railways in creating new markets, connecting communities and being a powerful and positive force for social and economic change, not just in Britain, but across the globe.

The railways have a great and proud tradition. And York, in turn, can claim to have played an important role in the history of the railway.

George Hudson, "the Railway King", helped to establish Britain's railways into a national network. His legacy is all around us in the vast range of rail connections that are possible from York.

These made, and continue to make, the city one of the most important interchanges on the rail network, as well as a major destination in its own right for business and for tourism.

Today, York station is used by six million passengers a year. It is an important gateway to the region.

Both Edinburgh and London are just two hours away. In fact, York probably has the best railway service, in terms of speed, frequency and comfort, of any comparable city in the UK. There are 61 services, for example, to and from London, each weekday.

York remains a railway city, employing hundreds of railway staff from companies like GNER, Network Rail, Jarvis and other train operators and suppliers. GNER is proud to have its headquarters here.

Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, estimates that the East Coast Main Line contributes upwards of £100 million a year to the regional economy, sustaining approximately 11,000 jobs.

During RailFest, it is right to celebrate the achievements of the past (even if some people do occasionally look back with rose-tinted spectacles). History and heritage are important, but only as stepping stones to a better future. Today's rail industry can learn from the past, but should not dwell on or in it. We must always look ahead, innovate and improve.

In this bicentenial year, it is easy to forget the progress that has been made on the railways in a relatively short time.

Fifty years ago there were 11 daily northbound services between London Kings Cross and York, with an average journey time of 3 hours and 50 minutes. The first departure from York left at 0805 in the morning, but didn't get into London until after 1pm.

Twenty-five years later, journeys were an hour quicker and services were spread over a longer part of the day, allowing York business and leisure travellers to arrive earlier and return later.

However, if you were feeling peckish on the early trains, all that was available were drinks and cold snacks - the infamous pork pie and curly sandwich! Today, there are 100 restaurant services every weekday and you can tuck into a freshly-cooked Great British Breakfast, with produce from local suppliers.

There are also now 30 northbound services every weekday (more than double five years ago) and journey times have been reduced to just under two hours.

RailFest is an excellent event and the NRM is to be congratulated for hosting it.

In addition to the vintage trains and other attractions, the Modern Arena displays the latest in train technology, including one of GNER's rebuilt Mallard First Class carriages, named after the record-breaking locomotive of the 1930s, a lasting symbol of style, speed and engineering excellence.

RailFest is an uplifting and inspiring mix of the old and the new. And while the Flying Scotsman settles into its new home at the NRM, its legend will live on, as GNER doffs its corporate cap in tribute by evocatively displaying the words Route Of The Flying Scotsman and an heraldic crest on the sides of its train carriages as they speed towards London and Scotland. Here's to the next 200 years!

Updated: 10:52 Friday, June 04, 2004