Wensleydale Railway recently hosted a volunteering and staff development day for employees from National Gas Transmission (NGT).

Eight National Gas Transmission staff joined volunteers from the railway’s permanent way (P-Way) team to gain first-hand experience of working on the railway.

After a site safety briefing, the group placed trolleys onto the line and loaded ten replacement sleepers before heading east of the Wensley level crossing gates to carry out spot re-sleepering work.

Three of the railway’s volunteers led the activity, demonstrating the process of replacing sleepers before the National Gas Transmission team joined in.

With many hands on site, work progressed quickly, and five timber sleepers were replaced before the team paused for a lunch break.

Following the break, steady progress continued during the afternoon, with a further four sleepers successfully swapped out. The team also made use of the time to clear vegetation from several panels of track, helping to improve the overall condition of the line.

National Gas Transmission owns and operates Britain’s National Transmission System (NTS) for gas. This extensive network of pipelines transports gas from entry points across the country to power stations, industrial facilities and storage sites. It also supplies local Gas Distribution Networks, which deliver gas to homes and businesses, and connects to overseas markets through international interconnectors.

“It was our pleasure hosting a volunteering day with members of staff from National Gas Transmission. Their work directly contributed to our project to restore passenger services over the 5.5-mile section of our railway between Leyburn and Redmire that has been closed since 2020. Their support was much appreciated.”

Jon Trueman, Director and Industry Partnership Manager at Wensleydale Railway.

“The National Gas team thoroughly enjoyed the day – it was not only great fun but also genuinely educational. Wensleydale Railway’s team guidance, knowledge and enthusiasm made the experience hugely worthwhile, and everyone came away with a deeper appreciation of the work that goes into maintaining the railway. We’d certainly be open to the possibility of returning in the future and continuing to support the great work they’re doing. Thanks again for the warm welcome and excellent organisation.

Steven Porter, Assistant Project Manager at National Gas Transmission.