HUNDREDS of people gathered at York’s National Railway Museum as The Flying Scotsman arrived for a naming ceremony to honour its former owner.

The Flying Scotsman, built in 1923 and then restored in 2016, arrived at York railway station on Friday, January 11.

The locomotive along with period carriages, arrived full of passengers who had travelled up from London King’s Cross.

After its arrival, the locomotive was shunted into the railway museum where it joined the much newer, DB Schenker Class 90 electric locomotive which was named the 'Sir William McAlpine.'

The naming was in tribute to The Flying Scotsman's former owner who died aged 82, in March 2018.

Sir McAlpine who had previously been described as a "lifelong supporter of railway heritage and preservation in the UK" acquired The Flying Scotsman in 1973.

During his ownership, he had the locomotive transported to Australia for its second trip abroad where it completed a non-stop journey of 442 miles.

Sir McAlpine is regarded The Flying Scotsman's saviour because he brought the locomotive back from the US when a previous tour failed through lack of money.