North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust

Analysis

North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in North Yorkshire. It was registered in February 1972, 54 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01036704). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending February 2026, North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust reported income of £9.1m and spending of £8.9m, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from February 2022 to February 2026, income fell from £9.6m to £9.1m (-5.2%), an average of -1.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to February 2024, when income rose by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 95% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Kent Wildlife Trust (£9.0m), The Royal Town Planning Institute (£9.2m) and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (£8.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 49%, trading 36% and donations and legacies 14%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £230k. Charitable activities took 75% of spending and raising funds 4.2%. It employed 130 people.