AMBITIOUS development plans at a leading heritage railway have been given a huge boost by the National Lottery.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has been awarded a grant of almost £1m towards its £1.7m project Train of Thought.

A grant of £998,000 will go towards the scheme, which aims to create a visitor and education centre at Pickering Station as well as re-instating the station roof.

Other funding for the project is being sought elsewhere from sources including the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and legacies.

The regional head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Fiona Spiers, said: "Railways are an iconic part of our local heritage and this is a green light for the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust to transform the experience for the thousands of people who come to this historic site.

"The scheme will also safeguard the future of the station, ensuring future generations can enjoy it too.

"It services a railway which is nationally significant, being one of the earliest, and with connections to some of the leading engineers of the day."

The chairman of the trust, Murray Brown, said it was to the credit of a small group of volunteers and staff that the project had won support from the lottery.

He added: "It has been several years in the making and all along, we have felt that the Train of Thought project will enable us to widen the appeal of the railway, by giving visitors more information and opportunities to understand and interpret the railway and its environment."

Pickering Station is a grade-II listed building and is a fine example of early railway architecture situated within a conservation area.

The programme of conservation works will involve restoring the station roof to its original appearance, as in the period 1845-1952. It will be built to the original design of its architect, GT Andrews.