Could Reconnecting Whitby to York by Rail Solve Coastal Transport Issues?

Calls for major railway investments to reconnect Whitby and Pickering are growing as the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire brings a draft transport plan to the coast on Wednesday.

Access to employment, education, and healthcare for coastal residents without vehicles could be transformed under a new long-term transport strategy.

A draft Local Transport Plan aims to tackle severe rural and coastal isolation, which currently leaves more than 100,000 people across the region unable to reach a hospital, college, or sports facility within forty-five minutes by public transport.

Transport officials are gathering public feedback on the proposals at Whitby Market on Wednesday (October 8th) between 10am and 2pm, with a further drop-in session planned for Scarborough Indoor Market on Wednesday, October 14th, from 10am to 2pm.

The blueprint sets out an ambition to reach carbon-negative status by 2040, requiring a significant shift towards walking, cycling, and integrated public transport. However, local representatives warn that the current infrastructure on the Yorkshire Coast is inadequate for everyday needs.

Councillor Phil Trumper highlighted the specific challenges facing his coastal community, suggesting that reversing historic railway closures between Rillington and Pickering could provide a vital link.

Councillor Phil Trumper said:

"If you live in Whitby and you haven't got a car, it's quite difficult to get you anywhere, to find employment, etcetera.

The bus isn't sustainable because it takes nearly three hours to get from Whitby to York on a bus. Up to Middlesbrough, it's over an hour.

So what about investment in the train system from Whitby to Middlesbrough and to York itself? I mean, there's a a rail link that was taken out by Beeching in the 1960s. It's nine miles. The track bed is still there between Rillington and Pickering. That was reinstalled, that would reconnect Whitby to York."

The combined authority's strategy acknowledges that seasonal visitor pressures and weaker inland connectivity create unique challenges for coastal communities. The plan proposes establishing minimum service levels for public transport and improving active travel links shaped around the needs of residents, employers, and visitors.

Upgrading the regional rail network forms a core part of the proposed solution, though local leaders admit that securing the necessary funding from the government remains a significant hurdle.

Mayor David Skaith said:

"We are always working on how we can improve public transport across the patch, and obviously rail plays a major part of that. We've pushed hard on improving the connectivity between York and Scarborough already, which will come in in time, but we always want to improve rail and our bus connectivity because that is the most sustainable and still affordable way for most people to travel around the region.

Yes, obviously the car is going to be one of the most dominant modes of transport in the county. That is just the nature of transport, but we need to give those better opportunities for people to travel around in a much more sustainable way.

So we are always always working with government to how we can get more investment into rail in particular, but these kind of things are incredibly expensive."

Future transport investment will be guided by the final version of the plan, which seeks to reduce unnecessary car dependency while supporting economic growth. Officials hope that better connections will prevent the out-migration of young professionals and attract new businesses to the area.

Residents who cannot attend the events in Whitby or Scarborough can still have their say by completing the online consultation. Paper copies and alternative formats can also be requested by contacting the transport planning team directly on 01423 569562.

The Full transport plan can be found at https://engage.yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/transport/mltp/user_uploads/mltp-strategy-1.pdf

Meanwhile, the Government has responded after Andy Burnham was challenged to travel from Manchester to Whitby and back by train.

In a debate over poor rail and bus links to the North Yorkshire coast, Andy Burnham was set a challenge of trying to get from Number 10 North in Manchester to Whitby and back in a day using just trains. Due to poor connectivity, the journey would take more than five hours each way.

In response, a Government spokesperson said work was underway to explore more frequent Middlesbrough to Whitby services and highlighted a £45 billion commitment to “deliver the biggest upgrade to the north’s railway services in a generation”

The importance of good rail links to employment and economic development was highlighted by Whitby councillor Phil Trumper last week, who asked:

“What is the King of the North, based in Manchester, doing to improve transport on the coast

“I would invite the new prime minister to travel from Manchester to Whitby by rail and see if he gets there at a suitable time and then get back to Manchester on the same day.”

Travelling by rail from Number 10 North to Whitby would be an 11-hour round trip journey for the prime minister, barring delays or missed connections, according to Google Maps.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said:

“We’re working with regional leaders to explore more frequent Middlesbrough to Whitby services while investing £11 billion to improve journey times across the Pennines, as well as scoping out wider connections between major northern cities including York and Manchester, through Northern Powerhouse Rail.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), they added:

“This £45 billion commitment will deliver the biggest upgrade to the north’s railway services in a generation and provide better access to the opportunities that drive growth, get people working, and put more money in families’ pockets.”

Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said she was “tearing my hair out” over the slow pace of rail improvements.

Ms Hume said:

“I’m afraid I haven’t managed to land any kind of bus improvement from Sleights to Whitby, even though I promised that as a candidate. So, I’m tearing my hair out.

“Bus improvements will be coming, and I’m working tirelessly behind the scenes on improving the train services from Scarborough to York and Whitby to Middlesbrough.”

A half-hourly train service between York and Scarborough will start from December 2028.