After a review period, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has approved a £15 million investment in the National Railway Museum’s transformative masterplan and Central Hall project. This will safeguard the museum’s efforts to increase visitor numbers, support future estate expansions, and preserve its collections, encouraging the next generation to engage with the railways’ past, present, and future.
Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met with Craig Bentley, director of the National Railway Museum, together with York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith and Council Leader Claire Douglas, to commend the team.
The funding announcement follows the Government’s review of a commitment made in spring 2024 by the previous Conservative administration. This comes after a substantial prior investment of £18.6 million in 2019 through the Cultural Investment Fund from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
See also: Vision 2025 at the National Railway Museum
Transforming the site
The National Railway Museum’s masterplan involves an investment of around £100 million in capital projects to enhance the museum and its sister site, Locomotion, in Shildon, County Durham. These museums are part of the Science Museum Group.
The National Railway Museum serves as the cultural core of York Central. This 45-hectare regeneration project transforms underutilised railway land into a unique city quarter featuring residential neighbourhoods, civic spaces, and premium commercial real estate in one of the UK’s most historic and sought-after areas.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to the National Railway Museum and demonstrate how this £15 million investment will transform this much-loved site,” says Bentley. “This investment is pivotal to our plans for growth and to develop the museum as a place which is globally relevant, inspiring hundreds of thousands more visitors every year and fulfilling our role as the cultural gateway to York Central.”
Sir Ian Blatchford, chief executive and director of the Science Museum Group, adds:
“This confirmation of the £15 million investment in our ambitious plans for the National Railway Museum represents a strong vote of confidence in the transformative work underway right across the Science Museum Group.”
Last week, the Science Museum announced it would open three new galleries by 2030. Since 2014, more than 60 percent of the museum’s footprint has been renewed via a £100 million investment. During that period, 11 free new galleries and two permanent interactive spaces have opened.
