Reopening Beverley-York gains support from Alan Johnson MP

[Max]

http://www.thisishull.co.uk/display...tentPK=16669053&folderPk=79656&pNodeId=136245

A campaign to reopen the Beverley-York (via Market Weighton) line has gained the approval of Hull MP and Education Secretary Alan Johnson, who has written to the Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander urging him to support its restoration. Minsters' Rail Campaign chairman George McManus has said that 'There is still a long way to go - the most optimistic forecast is that the line could be opened in five or six years from now'.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Has anything been built on the old track bed?

 

[Max]

In some places yes...

 

[WessexWarrior]

What's the background on this line, when did it close, why does it need to be reopened?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Would this route provide a quicker link from York to Hull?

 

[yorkie]

Would this route provide a quicker link from York to Hull?

It would be approx 40 miles long compared to approx 50 miles via Selby, so yes it should be quicker.

It would massively reduce the journey time from Beverley and Cottingham to York, and most importantly it would re-connect Market Weighton, Pocklington and Stamford Bridge with York and Hull.

The road between York and Hull that roughly follows the route of the railway line is not considered to be sufficient to cope with today's level of traffic, let alone any increase, so the only options are : 1) widen the road, which will just shift the congestion elsewhere and encourage more use of cars leading to more pollution etc, or 2) put an alternative in place: the railway line.

It would be less disruptive to re-instate the railway line rather than have continual roadworks on the road to increase it's capacity.

I hope we go for the railway line but sadly roads rule these days

Some background info:-

http://www.wicstun.com/railway.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2005/03/22/bev_york_railway_feature.shtml

Some particularly interesting points to note:-

"Their economic assessment showed a Benefit - Cost ratio of up to 2.04 over a 60-year period - making it one of the most robust rail reopening proposals in England."


"A new line would follow the original route as much as possible but there would be deviations to the north of Beverley and Market Weighton town centre, to the south of Pocklington, and to the north east of Stamford Bridge.

A new railway bridge would be built across the River Derwent. The line would reconnect into the Scarborough to York line just south of Haxby instead of Bootham Junction.
Only 2 houses would need to be demolished - both in Market Weighton"