A man from Darlington in County Durham has achieved the distinction of being the youngest driver on the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire.

George Stephens is 21 and attended Darlington College, where he studied Travel and Tourism.

Three years ago, at the beginning of 2022, George joined the Wensleydale Railway as a volunteer and started working as a Travelling Ticket Inspector.

He then qualified as a guard, where he worked on first- and second-generation diesel multiple units and coaching stock.

In 2023, George qualified as a second-man on the railway’s diesel locomotives, a signaller, and Responsible Officer, followed in 2024 by starting training to become a driver.

Now 21, George has passed his driver training and is qualified to drive the railway’s class 142 and class 143 Pacer diesel multiple unit passenger trains.

The railway currently runs passenger services between Leeming Bar and Leyburn, and passenger and freight demonstration trains between Leeming Bar and Scruton.

It originally ran services beyond Leyburn to Redmire village, but those were suspended in 2020 because of the deteriorating condition of the track and infrastructure, some of which dates back to before World War One.

A fundraising appeal is now open to raise funds to restore passenger train services to Redmire.

One of this year’s attractions on the railway is its Sunday Afternoon Tea trains, an Indian tea train, a Curry Night, and an Autumn Afternoon Tea train in October.