Rail line reopening ‘would be boost for East Riding’

PLANS TO reopen the disused railway line between York and Beverley would “open up the East Riding to the rest of the country and to Europe”, a councillor and heritage campaigner have said.

The 31-mile line, which fell victim to the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, is now mostly footpath, with some stretches built over. But earlier in the year, East Riding councillors unanimously supported an application for funding to study whether its reopening would be feasible.

The council has now formally bid for a share of a £500m Government pot to pay for the research.

Council member Leo Hammond said the rebirth of the line would “reopen connections with York and with Europe through the port of Hull”, adding: “There’s now a deficit of east to west lines in the county. We need more infrastructure here and the better our connections get, the more investment we will attract from outside the area.” He said rebuilding the line would not involve the demolition of houses built along the old route.

Adam Fowler, head of the Hull and Humber Environment Forum and a former chair of the Hull Civic Society, said the growth of Pocklington and Market Weighton, along the old route, meant the line would be viable again today.

“Those towns and villages have ballooned since the 60s. They’re going to continue growing. Building an efficient, modern passenger railway between Beverley and York makes perfect sense because it will give people an alternative to using their cars,” he said.