The LNER Encyclopedia

There are well supported proposals afoot for the rebuilding of this fantastic line connecting Hull and the East Riding with York again.

They seem to envisage a 90mph service and the proposal seems to have across the board support. Costs are estimated to be £239,000,000

Here's the link;

http://www.minstersrail.org.uk/

Think how much extra support they would get if they tied their proposals in to several more new build A1 and A3 locomotives licensed to run at 90mph. (too expensive I know - but??)

Call me a dreamer if you will but someone somewhere has to have the vision.

John,

I hope that I live long enough to see it happen. I can remember the York to Beverley train passing me every morning as I walked down from Bootham to Shipton Street School. The loco was generally a D49 or a D20, I think, and a gas tank wagon was always coupled onto the back of the train.

My preference would be to reopen the Malton to Pickering line. There is only a car park in the way at Pickering, but two level crossings would be needed. Then the NYMR could run steam trains right through from Whitby to York, or even Leeds.

Colombo

You lived on Bootham? my Gran Lives on Longfield Terrace, and when they moved to York, the family (My Mums) lived at the top of Bootham Terrace as my Grandad put up bill posters and they lived above his workshop!

It's opposite the Scarborough line, but you can't see Green Arrow for the trees!

As for the line, is this the one that goes through Stamford Bridge? (walked that Viaduct!) (too young!) as this line goes trough Huntington, through several houses an indoor Bolwing club, and down a road, so it will have to take another route, although on the msn site you can still trace the route very easily from Bootham Junction (no where near Bootham!)

As for Shipton Street School, that's closed down now, and famous Football commontator Jon Champion went there.

Mark,

Yes indeed, we lived on Bootham, in a flat above a green grocers. The building was lean to the city walls and next to the round tower at the top of Marygate. There was no room for even a shunting plank there, perhaps a bit of 2"x1" might have been accommodated.

When we moved, I got my own 8 x 6 foot shed lean-to at the back of the garage and I built a roundy-roundy.

I trust your mis-spelling of my illustrious educational establishment was only an oversight: Mr Lund, the Head, would not have approved.

The alternative route via the Derwent Valley Light Railway could be followed with advantage. It would enable a rapid transit system to be set up in York up to the University, with lots of stops for the commuters.

Colombo

Ooops, amended.

So you lived next to the tower? that's an insurance brokers now.

That reminds me, I have to go now to take a photo of Green Arrow coming back down!

The Minsters Rail Group have a model on display in Beverley Minster, looks pretty good -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-16151857

Evening All

a York to Beverley line is of interest, not only in negotiating a way in to York, but what about the route between? As fas as I can remember, the old line has had a number of structures developed along its length, especially at Pocklington, with the redevelopment of the old station into a Sports Hall for Pocklington School, and extra housing in the town.

The York - Beverley line may generate more interest than the old DVLR route, albeit that the Derwent Valley Line bed may be pretty well maintained due to all the cycle path works undertaken by Sustrans & City of York Council, but I can't see a high usage from an area that was predominantly agricultural in traffic generated, unless they have a halt established on Foss Island for shoppers going to Morrisons!

Would be very interested in seeing the proposed route & feasibility scheme - Does anyone know of a web-site with details?

Yours

Greedy Boards

(ex-Pock schoolboy & current resident of Heworth)

I'm afraid to say it looks like this project is laying dormant, no news since 2006 from what I can see.

In reponse to GB, the site does say that diversions around Stamford Bridge, Pocklington and Beverly are required due to more recent buildings blocking the old route.

It would be nice to see Stamford Bridge connected to the National Network again; however in this economic climate, it's unlikely to happen any time soon.

I have been aware of this proposal for a couple of weeks, the group have a facebook page with more detail i will post link later.

From the York end.
There is the Link rd between Haxby rd and Huntington rd in York built on the formation.
Various houses between Earswick Stn and New Lane.
Portacabin factory built on the formation.
Not sure if any of the Monks Cross retail park is built across the route.
A new crossing of some description over the A1237 York Ring Rd.
A new crossing over the A64 as the bridge was flattened some years back.

I think the easiest option would be to provide a new route outside the ring rd between Earswick / Huntington and Strensall then bridging the A64 and picking up the original line near Stockton on Forest.

I spotted a by-line in the local York paper about a public meeting about the proposed reopening project and decided to go to the meeting held in Stamford Bridge in early November. It was worth attending - opinions were certainly running high!
They are not intending to use the old viaduct route but intend to build a new formation more on the outskirts of the village. There was a lot of concern from the villages about the proposals. Some of their main worries seemed to be the possibilities that the new line would increase noise if it was too near to the houses. They were also concerned that the proposed station would be on the outskirts which would not be attractive to commuters. They can't have if both ways! I came away from the meeting feeling that they were skeptical and not wholly in favor of the proposals which is a shame.

I'm not sure about the exact route they are looking at for York as I missed the meeting held in York in the early summer, hence the reason for going to Stamford Bridge for a nosy. From what was said at the meeting I attended back in November, it sounded like they were considering coming in from the north of York (Haxby?). Unfortunately there is nothing on the Minster Rail web site to indicated any proposed routes as I don't think the project has got that far yet.


Anne

Ay up!

I was involved in a cery minor role with the flood defences at Stamford Bridge and I've come across this sort of attitude. The people who complained that building embankments or deepening the river channel (the only two options as far as I can see!) would spoil their view were the loudest complainants when the river flooded their houses. Again.

In the article about Stamford Bridge it was said that restoring the line on its original alignment would require demolition of "200 houses" but if you look on Google Earth and use the Ruler app the true figure looks more like 20 to me, although some of the remaining houses would be very close to the line.
I think this and the diversion to the north of Market Weighton station site are simply ruses to inflate the costs so that it never gets built, which I am sorry to say I don't think it ever will be.

I see this thread has come alive after a gap of 5 years!
Can I put in twopennorth not as a rail buff with all the emotion that instills (sometimes in the face of commercial reality), just as an ordinary person living in Cottingham, about 15 minutes walk from the station.
First point, we Hull and near Hull folk are notoriously insular, the poet Larkin (like me, an immigrant) commented that if someone built a high wall around Hull, most people would not notice! Tongue in cheek of course, but within 60-75 minutes by road we can be in York, Leeds, Sheffield, Lincoln .... but do we bother? .... no, or rarely. We are fairly self-contained for shopping, leisure etc. So unless we want to do the tourist bit, or actually work in the cities, there is probably little demand. And how many York folk have a yearning for frequent visits to Hull?
So the idea of mass travel of any size between Hull/York is I think a fallacy, of course there would be commuting in either direction from Market Weighton, Pocklington etc but after the peak hours, like the buses, substantially empty trains, committed to running but earning little.
More importantly, it takes a lot to get people out of their cars, the local media are always saying the York road is a nightmare but like all main roads, if you can avoid the rush hour there are few delays.
So what would be my choices .... leave any time I wish by car, arrive at the park-and-ride in about 45 mins, and be in the centre of York in 60-70 mins maximum. Totally weather protected, no bags to carry when I get home.
OR .... with an hourly train service, average 0-60 mins delay to board a train (having had 15 mins walk, any weather), journey time with stops 60 mins (?), average 30 mins wait for a train back, plus 15 mins walk (any weather) carrying anything we may have bought.
Sorry, no contest.

Thats an interesting theory but it ignores the fact that rail travel is now massively more popular than it was in the time the line closed. When, for instance, the Aloa line was reopened in Scotland a feasiblity study was done and predicted about 200,000 journies a year but that figure was passeld in about the first five months.Similar results were experienced whe the Ebbw Vale line reopened.Also if there is so little demand for travel on the York - Market Weighton - Beverley axis then why are there constant demands to improve the road? They were talking about dualling a short section of itat 150 million a while ago.