Three staff from Track Engineering Construction Services (TECS) Ltd visited the Wensleydale Railway between 12 and 14 October, gathering high-quality survey data of Leeming Bar yard and Bedale station curve. The work was kindly undertaken free of charge by TECS. Using data gained from the surveys, the Essex-based firm has also offered to complete the necessary track design work for the Leeming Bar yard remodelling and Bedale station track relay.
Commenting on his visit to the railway, John Seaton, Land Surveyor at TECS said: “It was a great place to work and interesting to learn more about the Wensleydale Railway.”
Mat Powroznyk, Senior Track Design Engineer at TECS added: “I’ll be assisting with the designs for a reconfigured layout at Leeming Bar yard and a renewal of the track through Bedale station, where a sharp curve alongside the platform makes for an interesting challenge. After 15 years as a track designer, it’s genuinely rewarding to put that experience towards a heritage line that depends on people giving their time and skills. It’s a reminder of why I enjoy this profession.”
Jon Trueman, Industry Partner Manager at Wensleydale Railway said: “This collaboration between the Wensleydale Railway and TECS Ltd will support vital projects to improve safety and efficiency at our Leeming Bar engineering base, and to ensure that the tightly-curved platform interface at Bedale remains resilient and fit to use. We’re very grateful to TECS Ltd for their support.”
TECS Ltd is a fully multidisciplinary Rail and Civil Engineering company, delivering complete project solutions across the full lifecycle, from surveys and design to construction, monitoring, and handover. By combining in-house expertise with a hands-on delivery approach, TECS Ltd provide clients with technically robust, safe, and dependable outcomes — helping them achieve projects on time and within budget.
Further information on Wensleydale Railway’s Industry Partnership Programme can be found on their website: https://wensleydale-railway.co.uk/industry-partnerships/
About Wensleydale Railway
The Wensleydale Railway is a volunteer-led heritage railway serving the local community, offering tourists, families and transport enthusiasts a great value day out in the Yorkshire Dales with lots to see and do along the way. The Railway is 22 miles long and is one of the longest heritage lines in the UK. It currently operates heritage diesel train services between Scruton (near Northallerton) and Leyburn on the outskirts of the spectacular Yorkshire Dales National Park. It has award-winning, restored historic stations where visitors can learn more about 1900s railway life whilst enjoying free guided tours with costumed living history interpreters.
The railway continues working to restore passenger services from Leyburn to Redmire (https://wensleydale-railway.co.uk/return-to-redmire/). This approx. 5-mile section of the railway has been closed to passenger trains since 2020 due to the deteriorating condition of the track & infrastructure. It is currently the focus of a fundraising appeal (https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/returntoredmire) and on-going drainage, vegetation clearance and track renewal work. The railway hopes to restore passenger services over this very scenic part of its railway by 2028.
The Wensleydale Railway Trust is the charitable arm of the Wensleydale Railway. The Trust exists to provide education on the railway’s history and to advance and conserve the heritage of the railway for the public benefit. It supports the railway’s operation and provides funding support for specific projects such as track repairs and maintenance costs. In addition, it employs staff to run a National Lottery funded Heritage Education programme with local schools and the public as well as promoting community engagement with local people and groups up and down the line.
